The Salvatore Siblings: The Salvatore Sister
by PowerHero432
Summary: Damon and Stefan weren't the only Salvatores to be turned by Katherine. Their younger sister, Sarah, was also turned. And when they return to Mystic Falls they find more trouble waiting for them then they could ever imagine, in Elena Gilbert.
1. Return to Mystic Falls

_First of, I know there's a few Damon and Stefan sister FanFictions around. I haven't actually read any of them but I've seen them around. But I've wanted to do this for a while so I'm going to do it. Hopefully it'll be original and I'm planing on throwing some other stuff in to keep you guys on your toes. Hope you enjoy the story and if you do feel free to leave a review!_

 _Disclaimer : I don't own Vampire Diaries or any of it's characters, they all belong to CW and Julie Plec._

* * *

 **Chapter 1: Return to Mystic Falls**

 _My name is Sarah Salvatore. I am a vampire. For over a century I have been on the move, staying out of sight and living in secret. I have done many things during my time on this Earth. Some I am proud off. Others I'm not. My brothers hate each other and me. I have tried to bring them back together, but no matter what I do they have always pushed me, and each other, away. But now we are back together in our town home. We have returned to Mystic Falls. This is my story._

* * *

Sarah Salvatore was stood in the shadows of the forest, hidden amongst the trees behind the old Salvatore boarding house. It had been so long since she last saw it. Part of her wondered what else had changed in Mystic Fall since she was last here. She wanted to go in and see what had changed on the inside of the house, but she knew it wasn't the right time. She could hear movement in the house thanks to her vampire hearing. She didn't need to make her presence know yet. Not if there was a chance it would scare Stefan off again. So instead Sarah retreated deeper into the woods, away from the Salvatore house and towards the road. She knew Stefan well enough to know where he was going now. After all, she had been following him for the last few months. There was only one reason he was back in Mystic Falls.

Sarah had been sat on one of the bench outside the front of the school for sometime before Stefan finally showed up. He won't recognise her. He was too preoccupied with what everyone else would be thinking of him. From the way he walked, Sarah knew her brother just wanted to keep to himself. _Poor Stefan,_ thought Sarah with a thin smile. Stefan didn't even notice her when he walked past the bench she was sat on. How would he though? He wasn't looking for her and she had new sunglasses on which made her blend in just as well as Stefan. Sarah looked over her shoulder and lifted her sunglasses as she watched her older brother walk into school. She wanted to follow him, but knew if she did she most likely get caught. So instead she went to leave.

"Excuse me, are you new here?" asked a scrawny teen as he approached Sarah. She turned back to the front and lowered her sunglasses back down so that he couldn't see her green eyes.

"Why yes I am," Sarah said, putting on the innocent and confused face as she stood up. "I was told someone was going to meet me here and show me to the school office. But I've been waiting her, for like, ten minutes and no one's showed up," she said, pretending to be panicked.

"It's alright. I can take you," the boy quickly said.

"Oh, thank you so much," Sarah said as she let the boy led her towards the school. "But before we go," Sarah said as she stopped. "Is there somewhere we can go that's private, so I can repay you properly?" From the way she pressed herself up against the teen and stroked his neck, she knew exactly what he was thinking. _Teenage boys were so easy to manipulate._ Sarah could hear the boy's heart beat increase as he thought about what to do. Sarah of course already knew the outcome.

"Sure...I-I-I know a place," the boy stammered nervously. _His first time. How cute._ Sarah thought as she gave him a flirty smile. The boy then ran over to his friends and explained that he'd catch up with them before returning to Sarah. "Come on let's go," said the boy taking Sarah's hand and power walking away from the school. Part of Sarah felt bad for what she was about to do to the poor boy, but instinct overpowered those feelings. The boy led her a few blocks until they reach a turn and then he led her towards the forest.

"Pretty far from school. Are you sure we'll have time to get back?" Sarah asked, continuing her new girl act as the boy threw down his backpack.

"Yeah. We've got plenty of time," the boy said as he began pulling off his shirt. It got stuck around his head and it took him a few seconds to pull it off. While he did that, Sarah removed her sunglasses and put them in the back pocket of her jeans. She didn't see the need in getting her new sunglasses covered in blood. When the boy finally got his shirt off he saw Sarah standing right in front of him.

"You ready?" Sarah asked with a grin.

"You bet," said the boy trying to give off a confident tone, as if he had done it before. Sarah didn't by it one bit.

"Good," Sarah said stepping closer so that her face was only inches from the boys. "Now," Sarah started and then the boy's eyes locked with her own. Her forest green eyes mesmerised him like she had done with hundreds of others. He had no chance against her power. He was trapped, unable to do anything but listen to her.

"Stand still and don't scream," she ordered. She then broke off eye contact and the boy snapped out of the trance Sarah had put him in. But he did as he was told. He stood still and he didn't scream. He flinched when Sarah's eyes became bloodshot with black throbbing veins surrounding them and he jumped slightly when she bared her fangs at him. A second later she was on him. She grabbed him by the hair and pulled his head to the side so that she could bite his neck. She dug her fangs into his neck, feeling the taste of blood flood into her mouth. It was delicious. The best taste she had ever experienced in her whole life. She drank and drank until she felt the boy go limp in her hands. Luckily, she had more control than her brothers. She pulled back and smiled a bloody smile at the dazed boy.

"Thank you for that," Sarah said as she licked her blood covered lips. "Now where to start?" Sarah murmured to herself as she locked eyes with the boy, compelling him just as she had before. Her green eyes were irresistible to the boy and all he saw was Sarah, the rest of the world vanished in a hazy blur behind her. "You're going to go home and shower. Put a bandage on that bite and then go back to school. If anyone asks what happened, you were attacked by some kind of animal that you didn't get a good look at," Sarah commanded.

"I was attacked by a animal. I didn't get a good look at it," repeated the boy in a trace like tone.

"If anyone asks about me you'll say you made a move on me and I walked away," Sarah said, continuing her instructions.

"I made a move on you. You walked away."

"Good. Now off you go," ordered Sarah and the boy collected his things before walking home. Sarah wiped the remaining blood from her face and then looked herself over to make sure she hadn't gotten any on her cloths. Once that was done she put her sunglasses back on and returned to the school to wait for Stefan to finish. He would figure out she was here soon enough, but by then he might not want to leave. That was her hope. That Stefan would be to in love to leave. Then all Sarah would have to do is get Damon to Mystic Falls and their family could finally be reunited after all this time.

* * *

"Hey, Scarlett, wait up," Jeremy said as he jogged over to the dark haired girl. As she walked, Scarlett looked back over to see Jeremy running up to her. She looked away and rolled her eyes as she started to pick up her walking pace. But Jeremy caught up to her and jumped out in front of her to block her path. His stupid smile made Scarlett want to punch him right in the face. She only just managed to restrain herself because of the tragedy he had just gone through. She knew what it was like to lose your parents. But that didn't make Scarlet change her attitude towards the annoying boy that never stopped trying to ask her out. "How was your vacation?" Jeremy asked.

"Fine," Scarlet muttered and then stepped to the side, trying to get around him only for Jeremy to blocked her path once again.

"Do anything interesting?" Jeremy asked, trying to start a conversation that Scarlett knew wasn't going to happen.

"No," snapped Scarlett, trying again to step around only for Jeremy to once again block her. But Scarlett had a short fuse and Jeremy had already pissed her off. "Will you get out of my way?" Scarlett asked with a glare to Jeremy as she flicked her dark hair out of her blue eyes.

"Sorry," Jeremy said as he stepped aside, hurt by the harshness of Scarlett's words. She didn't care and had no plans on apologising. "I was just wondering, are you planning on going to the party tomorrow night?" Jeremy asked hopefully as Scarlett walked away.

"No!" Scarlett snapped without looking back as she stomps in through the back door to the school. She hated Jeremy. For what felt like forever, all he had done was follow her around like a lost little puppy. He would never leave her along no matter how many times she said no to him. When his parents had died she felt bad for him and when he started using drugs he actually became more likeable. But then he kicked them and went back to being annoying. She had held back before summer out of respect for his loss but she was done now. People stopped giving her breaks after one month after her parents' death. Jeremy had had four now, which Scarlet saw as more than enough.

* * *

Sarah lost Stefan after school but then found him again when he returned to the Salvatore boarding house. He seemed tense, probably a result of his bad human blood free diet. For him it was better than the alternative but Sarah never understood why he couldn't control it. She watched him enter the house were he remained locked away for some time.

A few hours later, Sarah began contemplating leaving to go and get a bite to eat. Perhaps she could find the boy she fed on this morning and have seconds. But she stopped thinking of food when Stefan suddenly emerged. Sarah remained hidden from sight behind the trees, watching Stefan walk off. She followed him from a distance and once he was away from the house he broke into a run, moving in a blur. He was using his vampire speed, but Sarah didn't have to worry. Even when Stefan ate a normal vampire diet he was still nowhere near as fast as her. And in his blood deprived state she could probably keep up with him at human speed. However she didn't want to risk it and chased after him, remaining at a distance.

She followed him until he reached a housing estate where he returned to walking pace. Staying a few houses behind him, Sarah watched as Stefan approached one of the houses. He stepped up onto the porch and stood waiting. It didn't take Sarah long to realise he was listening to the conversation going on inside.

"What are you up to Stefan?" Sarah muttered to herself as she brushed her raven hair behind her ear. She turned her head so that her ear was facing the house Stefan was stood in front of and listened.

"I'm meeting Bonnie at the Grill," said a young teenage girl.

"Okay, have fun. Wait, I got this. Don't stay out late, it's a school night," a young woman said. At a guess Sarah would have said she was in her early thirties.

"Well done, Aunt Jenna," the teenage girl said. Sarah could hear her footsteps moving towards the front door. She looked back to the front porch where Stefan was still stood. Then the door opened and Sarah saw the girl stood on the other side. She knew who it was on sight but it still shocked her how similar she looked to Katherine, the woman who had torn her family apart. This woman was identical to her. This was Elena Gilbert.

"Oh!" Elena said in surprise when she saw Stefan standing outside.

"Sorry, I was about to knock," lied Stefan causing Sarah to smile at him from where she was stood, three houses down. "I wanted to apologise for my disappearing act earlier. I know it was...strange."

"No worries. I get it, blood makes you squeamish," Elena said and Sarah's eyes widened slightly. So he had been with her before he returned to the house. Sarah could only imagine the restraint Stefan must have had to use to stop himself from feeding on her. But she found it amusing for Stefan to think he could live without blood. She would have to prove him wrong once she made her presence known.

"Um, something like that. How's your leg?" Stefan asked.

"Oh, it's fine. Just a scratch, barely. How did you know where I lived?" Sarah smiled as she watched Stefan squirm. This girl was smart. _Now what're you going to do Stefan._

"It's a small town. I asked the first person I saw," Stefan answered. _Going to have to do better than that Stefan if you want to throw this girl,_ Sarah thought as she watched, eagerly waiting for Stefan to screw up. "Um, I thought you might want this back," Stefan continued, pulling out a book and handing it over to Elena.

"Oh, I must have dropped it. I-Thank you," Elena said as she held the book close. It irritated Sarah that Stefan had managed to change the topic without Elena picking up on it, but she had to give him credit on how he did it.

"Don't worry, I didn't...read it," Stefan quickly said when Elena gave him a worried look. Sarah knew he was telling the truth. Stefan wasn't the noise type, he respected people's boundaries.

"No? Why not? Most people have."

"Well, I wouldn't want anyone to read mine," Stefan said causing Sarah to smirk. She and Damon had peaked at his journals multiple times over the years. Mostly because they knew how much it irritated him. It had always been a bonding experience for them.

"You keep a journal?" asked an astonished Elena.

"Yeah, if I don't write it down, I forget it. Memories are too important," Stefan said and Sarah fought the urge to laugh at his cheesiness. Stefan was such a homeless romantic.

"Yeah. I'm just gonna... Um, you don't have to stay out there," Elena said as she turned back into the house to put her journal away. Stefan looked down at the bottom of the door frame and lifted his foot, but he didn't cross the threshold. _I don't think so Stefan. You haven't been invited in._ Thought Sarah as she watched her brother stand on the porch, wishing he could enter.

"I'm fine," Stefan called into the house, knowing he didn't have a choice. "Sorry, were you going somewhere?" Stefan asked when Elena returned to the doorway.

"Yeah, I'm meeting a friend. Do you want to come?" Elena asked and Stefan smiled back at her.

"Sure," he said and Elena stepped out of the house.

Sarah couldn't describe the urge she was feeling to run forwards and kill Elena in that moment. It wasn't the blood lust, or anything against Elena or even Stefan. It was because of Katherine. Sarah knew Elena wasn't Katherine but part of her felt that if she killed Elena she would get revenge for what Katherine had done to her family. Lost in her revenge fantasy she almost didn't notice Elena and Stefan coming her way. She ran out of sight before Stefan or Elena could lay eyes on her and watched as they made their way down the street. She followed them to a restaurant in the town centre called the Mystic Grill and remained outside, listing in on Stefan's every word. From what she heard, she knew he at the very least had a crush on Elena. But would that be enough to keep him here. Only time would tell.

* * *

It may have been dark out but it was quieter than it was inside for Scarlett. Inside she had to listen to her jackass of an uncle shout and criticise her every action. Outside she was along with her guitar, at peace. She was sat on a tree stump, legs crossed over at the knee with her guitar balanced on top. Behind she could hear the loud sounds of a laugh track for whatever sitcom her uncle was watching in the trailer a few feet behind her. Usually when she was turned away from the trailer she could ignore it but her uncle had it up extra loud tonight.

She began strumming cords in a tune she had made up, humming along with lyrics that she hadn't decided on. After a while she stopped humming and she strummed the cords, looking up at the night sky while she did. That was one benefit to live outside Mystic Falls. She could see the night sky and stars clearly, and it was quiet. Or at least it was when her uncle was asleep or at work. Looking back to her guitar she changed the song she was playing. She went from playing her own song to playing one she'd learnt a while back. It was a song she had heard by Miley Cyrus, The Climb. She didn't like the singer but she liked that song and had quickly mastered it once she got her hands on the sheet music. For some reason it made her feel, relax, at easy. It helped her escape her depressing real life.

"I didn't know you liked Miley Cyrus," said Jeremy as he emerged from the trees. At the sound of his voice Scarlett jumped, dropping her guitar to the floor.

"Jesus!" Scarlett shouted angrily as she turned around to Jeremy before turning back to pick up her guitar.

"Sorry, I-I didn't mean to scare-"

"Yeah, well, you did," snapped Scarlett as she picked up the guitar and brushed off the dirt that had left a mark on it.

"Is your guitar ok?" Jeremy asked as he went to examine it but Scarlett was quick to yank it out of his grasp.

"Don't!" Scarlett said firmly.

"Sorry. I didn't mean-"

"You never do Jeremy, but you always do it!" Scarlett said angrily as she started walking back towards the trailer.

"I liked your playing!" Jeremy called after Scarlett and she stopped. Few people ever commented on her guitar playing, mostly because very few people had actually heard her. She had stopped playing publicly after her mother passed. She couldn't deny it felt good to be compliment on her skill after going unnoticed for so long.

"Good night, Jeremy," Scarlett said before continuing on towards the trailer. Jeremy wanted to say something but knew better than to speak or chase after her. Instead he backed away and headed for home. By the time Scarlet reached the door to her trailer, Jeremy was gone. She looked back, and scanned the area before saying in a quiet whisper, "Thank you." She then walked into her trailer where her uncle hadn't moved from his seat in front of the small TV.

* * *

The next day for Sarah was much like the previous day. She followed Stefan as he went to school then waited until it ended and followed him home. She knew where he was going next so she left the boarding house and headed for the site of the party were it had already begun. She watched silently from the side. Occasionally pulling an arriving party guest into the forest for a small snack. She had drank from two students and wiped their memories by the time Stefan finally showed. She knew she had nothing to worry about. The bite marks she'd left on the students was unnoticeable and she hadn't taken that much blood. If they dropped down on the ground, people would think they were just drunk which was probably true from the amount of drink some of these teenagers were downing.

Sarah watched from her leaned back position against a tree, her hands in her leather jacket pockets as she watched Stefan. If he turned around he would see her, but he wouldn't turn around. Not when Elena was on the other side of the opening in the forest. He was so obviously crushing on her. She watched as Stefan listened in on Elena.

"Tsk-Tsk," muttered Sarah as she shook her head from side to side. Then as Stefan went to talk to Elena a blond girl cut him off, she looked way to happy and enthusiastic for Sarah's liking.

"Hey! You made it!" said the blonde girl excitedly.

"I did," replied Stefan politely.

"Well, let's get you a drink."

"Well, I'm-"

"Oh, Come on," the blonde said as she grabbed hold of Stefan's wrist and dragged him off. Sarah couldn't help but laugh. She watched Stefan get dragged across the opening by the girl until she let's go of him to get them both drinks. But the second she had her back to Stefan he run back across to Elena. No one even noticed him. Which was lucky consider how slow he was moving. He really need to get some human blood in him, Sarah would help him with that.

"Hi," Stefan said when Elena turned around to find him standing behind her.

"Hi," Elena said back.

"I did it again, didn't I," Stefan said jokingly.

"Yeah," Elena said with a laugh. _You're little vampire tricks will only get you so far brother,_ Sarah thought as she watched the two. Sooner or later Elena would start getting suspicious and then the questions would be asked, questions that Stefan couldn't answer without showing Elena his true self. Luckily Sarah was here to help in that department.

The two chatted for a bit before both wondering off to a nearby bridge. Sarah of course followed, swiping a beer bottle from one of the teens so she looked more natural. She had a sip but the bottle was already three quarters gone. It was fine though, she was still full from her two snacks earlier on in the evening.

"You know, you're kind of the talk of the town," said Elena as they came to a stop on the bridge.

"Am I?" Stefan asked, his voice was calm but Sarah knew there was fear behind it. He didn't want to be the centre of attention, he wanted to blend in and be normal. Sadly that was not an option for him or Sarah.

"Mmm hmm. Mysterious new guy, oh, yeah."

"Well, you have the mysterious thing going too. Twinged in sadness."

"What makes you think that I'm sad?" Elena asked with a frown.

"Well, we did meet in a graveyard."

"Right. Well, no, technically we met in the men's room," Elena pointed out with a nervous laugh.

"Oh brother," muttered Sarah with a roll of her eyes before taking another sip of her beer. She was going to need a lot more than this if she was going to have to listen to this horrible flirting much longer.

"So what were you doing in the graveyard?" Stefan asked. Elena paused for a moment and then answered. If Stefan had compelled her, Sarah hadn't seen it.

"Last spring...my parents' car drove off of a bridge into the lake. And I was in the backseat and I survived, but...they didn't. So that's my story."

"You won't be sad forever, Elena," Stefan said, looking into her eyes. _If only you knew if that were true brother,_ Sarah thought to herself. Stefan hadn't been truly happy in over a century. Time doesn't heal all wounds, as Sarah and her brothers knew all too well.

Then came a quite scream from the forest nearby. It wasn't loud enough for anyone to hear over the roar of the party but Sarah heard it thanks to her vampire hearing. She looked towards the source, recognising it as a scream from help. She turned back to Stefan and Elena. He hadn't heard it, probably to focused on Elena. Good. Then she could deal with it without Stefan finding out she was back in town.

"Don't go anywhere," Sarah said quietly to herself before she ran off in a blur towards the source of the scream. When she arrived she found a young man, teenager, pressing another girl up against a tree and trying to get her cloths off.

"No, Ty. I'm not having sex against a tree," the girl groaned.

"Oh, come on, it would be hot," said the boy, clearly ignoring the girl's protests and her refusal to go along with it.

"It's not going to happen, not here, not like this. No. I said no. I said no! Ow, that hurts!" shouted the girl as the guy pushed her against the tree and started pulling her clothes off. If there was one thing Sarah had grown to hate over the past century of being a vampire, it was jackasses like this one that forced woman into doing something they didn't want to. "Tyler get off me!" the girl shouted at him but the boy kept going.

"She said 'No' dumb ass," Sarah snapped as she grabbed Tyler by the collar of his shirt and threw him back down to the ground.

"What the hell!" shouted an angry Tyler as he glared up at Sarah from the ground. She didn't give him the chance to say anything else. She had him pushed down against the ground in the blink of an eye, her heeled boot pressing down on his neck. She watched him choke for a moment, desperately trying to breath. It was no good, she was pressing down on his wind pipe. Who's to tell if she would have killed him then and there, but she released him when the girl asked her to.

"Please don't kill him," she begged. Sarah looked to her, still choking Tyler and then let him go. She pulled him up to his feet and locked eyes with him.

"You're going to apologise to this girl and then go back to the party and forget my face," ordered Sarah as she compelled Tyler. When she had finished giving him her commands, he walked over to the girl like he was a zombie and looked her in the eye.

"Sorry," Tyler said and then walked off back towards the party, shaking his head as if he'd just woken up from a weird dream.

"How'd you do that?" asked the girl in amazement as she looked back to Sarah. Sarah smiled at the young girl.

"What's your name?" Sarah asked her as she took a step over to the girl.

"Vicki."

"Well, Vicki, I hope you dump his ass after tonight," Sarah said as grabbed onto Vicki's face with her hands, holding her still while she stared into her eyes. "Now forget my face, and go for a walk," she ordered with the power of her compulsion. When she let go of Vicki, the girl picked a direction and started walking. A look of confusion on her face as if she didn't know why she was doing what she was doing. Sarah watched the girl vanish into the woods with a smile. She had to admit she enjoyed being the hero from time to time. But it was time to get back to her family business. She ran back over to the bridge Stefan and Elena were at, moving through the night as a blur without anyone ever knowing she was there and then resumed her watch. When Sarah focused her hearing back on Stefan and Elena they were talking about Elena's friends.

"I like Bonnie, she seems like a good friend," Stefan said as Sarah returned to her eavesdropping.

"Best friend in the world," said Elena with a smile.

"And Matt, he can't seem to, uh, take his eyes off of us," Stefan said. Sarah and Elena both looked across to another bridge where a boy in a football jersey stood with a dark skinned girl and the blonde girl that had being talking to Stefan earlier. They didn't matter to Sarah but she memorised their faces so that she knew who Elena's friends were. Her focus was her brother.

"Matt's that friend since childhood that you start dating because you owe it to yourselves to see if you can be more," Elena explained as she turned back to Stefan.

"And?"

"And then my parents died, and everything changes. Anyway, Matt and I, together we just, I don't know, it wasn't, um...it wasn't..." Elena was struggling to find the word but Sarah knew what she was trying to say. Apparently so did Stefan considering what he said next.

"Passionate?" Stefan suggested.

"No. No, it wasn't passionate," agreed Elena. She was smiling but then it turned to a concerned frown. "Hey, um, are you okay? Um, your eye, it just, it's..." Elena stammered as she looked at Stefan. Sarah couldn't see Stefan's eyes as he his back to her, but when he turned around she saw his bloodshot eyes with black throbbing veins around.

"Oh, um... Yeah, no, it's um, it's nothing," Stefan tried to stall as he tried to get his eyes under control. _Go on Stefan. Feed. Feed!_ Sarah thought, wishing he would. It was the only way he could get stronger and get himself under control. He didn't feed, much to Sarah's disappointment, but did manage to return his eyes to normal before turning back to Elena.

"Um, are you thirsty? I'm gonna get us a drink," declared Stefan as he walked off the bridge and back towards the party. _About time,_ Sarah thought as she vanished back into the woods before following Stefan from a few steps behind. But when she got back to the centre of the party she lost sight of Stefan. She scanned the crowd for him but he was nowhere in sight. Had he already dragged someone into the woods to feed. It would certainly help Sarah if Stefan was back up to full strength, but considering how long he'd gone without human blood it seemed unlikely. That was what Sarah thought at least until she heard a faint cry of pain from the woods.

She ran off and was at the scene in a second. Stood amongst the trees, all Sarah could see was a man with his face buried in the neck of a young girl. She stepped closer and saw that it was not her brother. She kept going until she stepped on a twig and snapped it in two. The sound echoed through the area and the man pulled his face up from the girl's neck. His mouth was covered in blood, fangs showing in his mouth, with bright blue icy eyes surrounded by a red sea and black root like veins that were fuelled by an urge to feed. But Sarah didn't see any of that. She saw the person behind the monster stood before her, the one with the same raven hair as her. She saw her brother.

"Hello, Damon," Sarah said, her voice betraying her and giving off her surprise to find him here.

"Hey, Sis," Damon replied in his usual charming manor, a bloody smile to compliment it. "Want a bite?" he asked as he turned the girl he'd been feeding on around. It took Sarah a moment to realise that the girl was Vicki, blood stains all over her neck and some splatter across her face.

"Made a new friend already?" Sarah asked mockingly as she smiled back at her brother.

"Always the comedian," Damon said as he pushed Vicki towards Sarah. Sarah didn't catch her, she stepped to the side and let the girl stumble to the ground. Damon laughed a little as he watched the confused and injured Vicki roll onto her back before passing out. "Now that was funny," Damon chuckled as he approached his little sister.

"Didn't know you were in town," Sarah said folding her arms across her chest as Damon stopped in front of her.

"Could say the same to you," Damon replied with a smirk.

"Jeremy, where the hell are you going?" came the familiar voice of Elena in the distance. Sarah and Damon looked over in the direction of the noise and could hear Elena and who ever she was following getting closer.

"Gotta go," Damon said turning back to Sarah with a glint of excitement in his eye. "Catch you later, Sis." Sarah tried to grab hold of him but Damon was already gone. She looked back to Vick, lying on the ground and thought about taking her. But it was too late, a boy was already coming into view and Sarah could see Elena running after him. The boy hadn't see Sarah because he was looking at the ground but if Sarah tried to move Vicki he'd defiantly spot her. So she ran off back towards the party to find Stefan. She had to make sure he saw her before Damon, otherwise her plan could completely fail. She had to keep them both in Mystic Falls.

She only got a few minutes of searching before she heard Elena shouting as she and the boy she'd been following returned to the party with Vicki in their arms. A crowd quickly formed, all watching as a few of the teenagers actually tried to help Vicki. Sarah watched the commotion unfold before spotting Stefan leaving the party in a panic. She ran over to cut him off and stopped by the side of the path Stefan was running down. A few seconds later Stefan came running down the path and stopped cold when he saw Sarah standing a few meters ahead of him. Sarah just smiled at her brother, their forest green eyes catching each other, and she waved to him.

"Sarah...was it you?" Stefan asked, suddenly breathless. Sarah shrugged before giving her brother a fiendish smile.

"See you at home, Stefan," was all Sarah said before running off. She knew there was no chance of Stefan catching up to her. He'd run home and she'd be there waiting for him. She couldn't help but smile as she ran. She loved teasing her brother.

She arrived at the boarding house quickly enough but was surprised to see Damon entering the house. She stopped in the woods and waited. Best to let Damon tell Stefan himself that he was back. No sense in taking that fun moment from her eldest brother. A few minutes later Stefan came running up the drive and ran into the house. Even from a distance, Sarah could hear him as he ran straight up to his bedroom. He had been expecting to find Sarah but instead he found his other sibling.

"Damon," Stefan said. Sarah grinned to herself as she imagined the look on Stefan's face.

"Hello, brother," said Damon, followed by a pause. Part of Sarah wanted to go in and join in on the family reunion, but she figured that they'd come to her soon enough.

"When'd you get here?" Stefan asked.

"You know Sarah's here?" Damon asked, quick to change the topic.

"Yes. I saw her. Are you and her working together again?" asked Stefan.

"Please, like I need her," Damon said nonchalantly. Admittedly it hurt Sarah but it was also nothing new to her. She had Damon had worked together to hurt Stefan before, but it only ended in them arguing and fighting each other more than with Stefan. That was during one of her bad moods, when she just wanted everyone to suffer.

"Why are you here?" Stefan asked, returning the spotlight to Damon.

"I missed my siblings," Damon answered.

"You hate small town," Stefan quickly pointed out. "It's boring. There's nothing for you to do."

"I've managed to keep busy."

"You know, you left that girl alive tonight. That's very clumsy of you," Stefan said, trying to get any information out of his brother.

"Technically that was our dear sister." corrected Damon.

"So it was her?" Stefan said in a questioning manor.

"Sure, why not," Damon said, he was getting bored with the conversation about his recent meals anyway. Sarah also didn't mind Damon blaming her for his kills. Certainly wasn't the first time he'd done it. Stefan was normally pretty good at knowing whether it was Damon or Sarah, but he was out of practise and without Sarah in the room to defend herself he couldn't tell if Damon was telling the truth or not.

"Why are you here now?" Stefan asked, once again returning to his original question.

"I could ask you and Sarah the same thing. But I think I can sum up Your answer in one word... Elena." Stefan didn't reply, so Damon kept pressing him. "She took my breath away. She's a dead ringer for Katherine. How do you think Sarah will react when she finds out about her?" At Damon's question, Sarah heard Stefan's heart skip a beat. Had he forgotten about her hatred towards Katherine for what she had done? Did he think she would kill Elena when she saw her, thinking it was Katherine instead? If so he wasn't entirely wrong. Sarah hadn't seen the dead body of Katherine and as such refused to accept that the bitch was truly gone. She had no closure, and that lack of closure could led to her attacking Elena. She almost had yesterday.

"I guess it doesn't matter," Damon said as he continued, now pushing another of Stefan's buttons, trying to get a reaction out of him. "So is it working, Stefan? Being around her, being in her world? Does it make you feel alive?"

"She's not Katherine," Stefan cut in.

"Well, let's hope not. Otherwise our dear sister might lose it. But at least she's on a healthy diet. What about you Stefan? When was the last time you had something stronger than a squirrel?" Damon asked. Now he was pushing the button that Sarah was going to push. It irritated her that Damon had gotten to him before her, she had been looking forward to watching Stefan squirm at the talk of blood.

"I know what you're doing, Damon. It's not gonna work," Stefan said, but his shaking voice said different.

"Yeah? Come on. Don't you crave a little?" asked Damon as he stepped closer to Stefan and began gently whacking him on the side of the head, trying to aggravate him.

"Stop it."

"Let's do it. Together. Come on, we'll round up Sarah had have a nice family meal. I saw a couple of cute girls down the road, they looked tasty enough. Or let's just cut to the chase, let's just go straight for Elena."

"Stop it!" Stefan said, raising his voice. _It was too easy,_ Sarah thought to herself, but she couldn't help but be annoyed that Damon was the one pushing him and not her. And all this talk of blood was starting to make her hungry.

"Imagine what her blood tastes like!" Damon continued, also raising his voice.

"I said Stop!" Stefan shouted and a second later the two brother came flying out the window, smashing through the glass and diving onto the ground below. Sarah saw her chance and she took it, she ran over before the two recovered and then came to a stop as they got back up.

"I see you two are as close as ever," Sarah said smugly as she stood over them. Damon was quickly back on his feet, Stefan took a little longer, another side effect of the lack of human blood in his system.

"Sarah, give me a second opinion. I think the tackle was about a six, lacking style sure, but the whole face thing seemed pretty authentic," Damon said, judging his brothers attack like it was a sport.

"Definitely not his best. But how could it be with the diet he's on," agreed Sarah as she played along with Damon's act, the two nodding their head as they looked down on Stefan who was still catching his breath.

"You know, it's all fun and games. But wherever you two go, people die," Stefan said as he stood up to his full height.

"The same could be said for you, you know," Sarah replied with a grin.

"Not anymore," Stefan said firmly. "I won't let you two hurt anyone. Not here."

"I take that as an invitation," Damon said with challenge in his voice.

"Damon, please. After all these years, can't we just give it a rest?" begged Stefan.

"I promised you an eternity of misery, so I'm just keeping my word." pointed out Damon, thinking he was in the right. Sarah just rolled her eyes and sighed at the petty argument going on between her brothers.

"You two seriously need to grow up," Sarah muttered as she looked off into the distance.

"Thanks for the input," Damon snapped back, with his usual charming grin.

"Just stay away from Elena," Stefan continued.

"Like you can stop me," Damon snorted.

"I can, and I will," Stefan said aggressively.

"Now, now boys," Sarah said as she stepped in between her two brothers. "What do you say we apologise to each other before the sun comes up? Otherwise I might turn into an only child," she said as she showed them their family rings. She had swiped them while they had been on the ground and was now smiling smugly at the two.

"Clever girl," Damon said with a proud smile towards his sister.

"Never mind the compliments."

"My apologises. Ahem, Stefan. I'm sorry for aggravating you," Damon said in way that made Sarah think that if she didn't know her brother, she might have actually believed him. Once he was finished speaking he turned back to Sarah with another charming smile.

"Very good Damon," Sarah said as she threw his ring back over to him.

"Thank you," Damon said putting his ring back on.

"Now you Stefan," Sarah ordered, turning to her other brother. Stefan just glared back at her angrily. "I have all eternity, Stefan. But you won't once the sun raises," Sarah pointed out smugly as she forced Stefan to play her game. He rolled his eyes and turned his glare on Damon.

"Sorry," Stefan said coldly.

"That didn't sound genuine to me," Damon said as Sarah turned to him with a cocked eyebrow.

"And yours was so heartfelt," She joked before throwing Stefan his ring. But no sooner had he put it back on, Damon grabbed his brother by the throat and threw him over the yard and into the garage door. He slammed into and then dropped down onto his back, breathless. He blinked and then Damon and Sarah were standing over him.

"You should know better than to think you're stronger than me. You lost that fight when you stopped feeding on people. I wouldn't try it again," Damon snarled at his brother as he leaned down over him. Then his tone completely changed when he stood back up, his charming smile returning to his face. "Well I think that was another great family reunion, see you both in another decade," Damon said cheerfully as he walked off at a leisurely pace.

"Nice seeing you again Stefan. Can't wait for you to introduce us to Elena," Sarah said with a sinister smile before walking off in the opposite direction of Damon, leaving Stefan defeated and lying on the ground outside the boarding house.


	2. The Salvatore Siblings

_Thanks for all the favourites and follows you guys! And thank you to DIANA VD FAN for the kinda review! And don't forget to leave a review if your enjoying the_ _story!_

* * *

 **Chapter 2: The Salvatore Siblings**

Sarah was stood outside, leaning against the wall, when Stefan walked out the front door to the boarding house. His backpack was slung over one shoulder and under one of his arms he held an old book. If he had seen Sarah, he didn't show it as he walked off down the driveway. Sarah rolled her eyes and then ran out in front of him using her enhanced speed.

"So you're ignoring me now?" Sarah asked, curious to know what her brother thought of her.

"Basically, yeah," answered Stefan as he stepped around Sarah and continued walking. She chuckled lightly and then turned to follow. She caught up to him easily enough and fell into step beside him before he stopped and turned to his sister. "Can I help you with something?"

"What? Am I not allowed to spend quality time with my brother?" Sarah asked with a mocking grin.

"Not until I figure out what you and Damon are up to," Stefan said before he started walking again. Sarah continued to follow him at his side.

"What's with the book?" Sarah asked, eyeing the book in his hand. It was old, well over a century, with a leather binding and hard yellow pages that had faded in its long life.

"Elena asked to see it," Stefan answered bluntly as he walked. Wanting to know more, Sarah snatched the book from Stefan and ran a head a few meters before opening the book to see what it was.

"Wuthering Heights, by Ellis Bell," Sarah read aloud from the first page. Her eyes flickered up and saw Stefan sigh as he walked over to her at normal speed, clearly not in the mood for his sister's games. "Or as she was really know, Emily Bronte," Sarah finished as Stefan reached out to grab the book. Sarah closed the book and then held it out of reach from her brother. "Wonder why Elena would want this?" Sarah asked innocently but Stefan could see the mischief in her eyes.

"If you must know. Me and Elena were talking about it last night. I mentioned I had a copy of the first addition and she asked to see it," Stefan admitted.

"This isn't my copy is it?" Sarah asked as she looked the book over before Stefan snatched it back.

"I don't know what happened to your copy. But this one, is mine. Now if you don't mind I've got to get to school," Stefan said as he walked past his sister.

"And what are you going to do about the girl that Damon bit?" Sarah asked, spinning on her heels to watch her brother walk off.

"According to him, you bit her," Stefan replied, looking back over his shoulder as he walked off.

"You don't actually believe him do you?" Sarah asked, genuinely surprised that Stefan trusted Damon more than her. She knew she'd screwed Stefan over in the past many times, but Damon had done far worse things to him than her. True she had helped Damon with some of those things but she still thought herself more trust worthy than her eldest brother.

"Honestly. I don't trust either of you," Stefan said before turning back away from Sarah and walking off down the road towards the school. Sarah stood and watched him leave before racing off. She knew Stefan would try to handle the problem with Vicki, but she also knew he was weak and his compulsion might not work probably. So she would deal with Vicki. But first, she needed a snack.

* * *

Jeremy was walking up to Scarlett's trailer when he begun to hear shouting from the mobile home. He slowed his walking pace as the shouting increase. From what he could hear, Scarlett's uncle was yelling at her for getting in the way and being a burden. Scarlett was shouting back at him about how she hated him and her own Father and wished she was on the street instead of being stuck with her uncle. Jeremy stood outside and listened for a while, wondering how on earth the two could be talking to each other like this. He would never talk to Jenna like they were talking to each other. After a few more minutes of shouting Scarlett then emerged from the trailer, slamming the door behind her as she stormed out with her backpack on her shoulders.

"Everything alright?" asked Jeremy as Scarlett approached him. Scarlett didn't even speak to Jeremy, she shoved past him and continued on towards the school without even apologising. "Scarlett wait!" Jeremy called after the girl but she didn't stop, look at him or even speak. She just continued on in the direction of the school. Jeremy jogged after and caught up easily enough but had trouble keeping up with her power walking pace. "Is everything alright?" Jeremy asked again and again Scarlett ignored him. "Scarlett?"

"Oh my god will you just leave me alone!" Scarlett snapped as she abruptly stopped and turned to Jeremy. He would have bumped into her if he hadn't jumped at her sudden shout.

"Sorry, I just-"

"I don't care Jeremy! When are you going to get it through your head that I don't like you! I don't want anything to do with you and all I want is for you to leave me alone!" Scarlett shouted into Jeremy's face as she pushed him back into a tree trunk before storming off again.

"I'm...sorry," Jeremy said, but Scarlett was too far gone to hear it.

* * *

Sarah was sat on one of the school benches waiting for Stefan to show himself while also picking out her next meal. Young blood always looked so good to her, especially when she had missed out on breakfast. She had just picked out a nice looking girl that was on her own reading a book when the bell rang. At that moment her eyes moved over to the school doors where she watched as the students flooded out in a hurry to leave. She scanned through the faces for her brother's but never found him. She did however find Elena who was walking with a boy that she recognised from the party the night before. He was dressed in a football jersey. The two teens made their way over to a bench and sat down. Sarah was about to listen in when she spotted Stefan sitting alone on another bench. She ran over to his side in the blink of an eye and was so quiet that Stefan didn't even realise she was there until she spoke.

"What you up to Stefy?" Sarah asked, using the nickname she'd give him a lifetime ago. Stefan turned to her with wide horrified eyes, Sarah just smiled back, the same way Damon would have.

"What are you doing here?" Stefan asked, panic sneaking into his voice.

"Helping you," answered Sarah as she listened in on the conversation between Elena and her friend.

"Now there's talk of some missing campers," the boy said to Elena. By his tone Sarah guessed he was distressed. Her eyes flicked away from the two for a second and over to Stefan to find that he was listening in as well. She smiled at their strange family bonding before turning her sights back on Elena.

"Did she say what kind of animal it was that attacked her?" Elena asked.

"She said it was a vampire," the boy said. Sarah looked back to see the fear on Stefan's face. When he looked to his sister she only smirked in reply before returning to her eavesdropping.

"What?" Elena said in surprise.

"Yeah, she wakes up last night and mutters 'vampire' and then passes out," the boy explained.

"Ok, that's weird."

"I think she was drunk. So what's up with you and the new guy?" the boy asked in surprising turn of conversation. But that didn't make it any less interesting to Sarah and from the focus on Stefan's face it was interesting to him too. She could see he was struggling to maintain his hearing. He really needed some human blood otherwise he'd lose all the tricks that come with being a vampire.

"Matt, the last thing that I want to do is hurt you," Elena said.

"You know, I'm...I'm actually gonna go back to the hospital. I want to be there when Vicki wakes up, get the real story about last night," said the boy called Matt as he got up and left the bench.

"Let's go," Stefan said as he got up from the bench only to be pulled back down by Sarah. "What are you doing?"

"Since we're here. Why not introduce me to Elena," suggested Sarah with a devilish smile.

"No. Sarah, we have to take care of this now," Stefan said firmly as he glared at his sister.

"Of you go then. I'll just introduce myself to Elena then," Sarah said as she and Stefan look over to Elena, who is looking around the school yard presumably for Stefan.

"Sarah, please. Not here."

"You know what? I'm kind of hungry. Perhaps Elena would like to join us for lunch," Sarah said as she got up. She was about to call out to Elena but Stefan grabbed hold of her wrist and ran to the side of the school just before Elena laid eyes on the bench they'd been sat at. At the side of the school Stefan shoved Sarah against the wall in a threatening manner, pinning her wrists against the wall.

"Don't ever show up here again," snarled Stefan as his eyes turned red with blood and black veins appeared around his eyes. However rather than be intimidated, Sarah just laughed. Then with one strong kick she sent Stefan flying into the fence.

"Don't act like you can boss me around Stefy. You may be older than me but we both know who's the stronger," Sarah snarled down at him. Then her features softened and she helped him up of the ground. "Now come on. Let's deal with this. And then you can introduce me to Elena," Sarah said but Stefan made no comment as the two ran off towards the hospital. Not surprisingly Sarah beat Stefan there. She arrived just as Matt was leaving Vicki's room. _Perfect timing._ Sarah then ran into the room to find Vicki in a panic.

"What-What are you doing-" Vicki stammered, but Sarah didn't have time for Vicki's questions. She grabbed hold of the girl's head and made her look into her eyes. In an instant the compulsion took effect and Vicki fell silent as she stared into Sarah's green eyes.

"Be quite and don't scream. Just be still," Sarah commanded. She was about to continue with her commands but then the pumping of Vicki's blood began to fill her ears. She could see the dry blood on her neck and she could feel her fang form in her mouth. Sarah knew she'd have to feed soon, so she figured why not feed now. She tilted Vicki's head to the side and was about to bite her neck when she was pulled back by her hair. "OW!" Sarah shrieked as she turned around to find Stefan glaring at her. "Why'd you do that?"

"Because you were about to feed on her," Stefan snapped angrily.

"Of course I was, I'm hungry," Sarah snapped back as footsteps began approaching the room.

"Finish the compulsion," Stefan ordered and Sarah turned back to Vicki, locking eyes with her again. "Hurry."

"You're not helping," Sarah snarled as she lost focus. She closed her eyes and took a calming breath before opening them and staring into Vicki's eyes once more. "An animal did this to you. That's all you remember," Sarah quickly said.

"It's all I remember," Vicki said in a trance like tone.

"Time to go," snapped Stefan as he grabbed onto Sarah and pulled her away from the bedside of Vicki.

"We were never here," Sarah managed to add before they left the room. The only reassurance she had was the fact that Vicki repeated here order before dropping her head back down on the pillow. "You didn't give me enough time," Sarah said as she and Stefan walked away from the room and down the corridor, hearing Matt and a nurse walk into the room behind them.

"It'll have to do," Stefan said hastily as he pulled Sarah along by the arm. As they rounded the corner of the corridor, Sarah looked back and saw that Matt was coming their way.

"Two secs," Sarah said pulling her arm from Stefan.

"Wait, Sarah what are you-" Stefan froze when he saw Matt come round the corner and lock eyes with him. Neither of the boys got a chance to say anything to one another as Sarah reached up and covered Matt's mouth with her hand. She used the other to grab the back of his neck and then ran out off the hospital without anyone noticing. In a second they were outside next to the fire exit with Sarah pressing Matt against the stone wall. Matt tried to scream but couldn't because Sarah still had her hand press against his mouth.

"Sorry about this cutie, but I'm going to need you to be quite," Sarah said with a sinister smile that only increased Matt's panic and struggle however he was no match for Sarah's strength. "I said, be quite," Sarah ordered and with the aid of her compulsion Matt stopped trying to scream. He continued to struggle, but Sarah barely noticed. She then grabbed the side of Matt's head and yanked it so that his neck was exposed. She bared her fangs and her eyes changed into a green irises surrounded by blood and black veins. She dug into Matt's neck and started sucking away at his blood. The taste was so good and filled her body with such relief that she had to break to sigh before resuming. She was about halfway through her second drink when she was pulled back. She stumbled back but managed to regain her balance as her face returned to normal. She looked to Matt and found Stefan standing between him and her.

"Enough," Stefan snarled, while behind him Matt held the wound on his neck to try and stop the bleeding.

"What's going on?" stammered Matt from behind, Stefan and Sarah didn't answer him.

"Go on Stefy. Have a look, have a taste," Sarah said, trying to push her brother.

"Sarah, don't," Stefan said as he began to feel the smell of blood enter his nostrils. He closed his eyes to try and gain control of himself but in that moment Sarah grabbed onto him and spun him around to Matt. When Stefan opened his eyes all he saw was the blood dripping from Matt's neck and the pain on his face. Stefan couldn't stop himself as his fang grew in and his eyes turned red. He could only imagine what Matt saw, but he felt like a wild animal that was about ready to feed on its prey. The conflict going on inside him was indescribable, it was supernatural instinct verses his morality.

"Go on Stefy," whispered Sarah in his ear, picking up on his internal conflict. "Just a bite, it won't hurt. Then we can wipe his memory. It'll be like it never happened." Sarah stood beside her brother watching him breathing heavily as he held himself back from the defenceless Matt. Matt was frozen in fear, waiting for one of the two monsters opposite him to attack. Sarah stood still, waiting with an eager smile for Stefan to take a bite out of Matt.

"No!" Stefan said definitely as she tore his eyes from Matt and stepped back.

"Fine," Sarah groaned with a roll of the eyes, annoyed that her brother hadn't done what she wanted him to do. She bit down on her wrist and then shoved it against Matt's mouth. He tried not to swallow the blood flowing into his mouth but it filled up to quickly and since he couldn't spit it out he had to swallow it. Once he had the wound on his neck began to heal. "There, all better. Now," Sarah said as she held Matt's head still and stared deeply into his eyes. "Forget you ever saw me and Stefan at the hospital. Then go back inside and check on Vicki," she ordered. When she let go, Matt went back into the building via the fire escape.

"What the hell was that about!" Stefan snapped once Matt was gone.

"Relax, I was just having a snack," Sarah said innocently as she looked over her now blood stained nails.

"Why were you trying to make me feed on him!" Stefan demanded and Sarah smiled as she looked up.

"You can't fight the hungry forever. Sooner or later, you're going to have to feed. Embrace it and control, don't let it control," Sarah said but her words didn't seem to get through to Stefan. He just grunted and walked off. Sarah sighed and then followed him out of the side alley.

* * *

"I picked up dinner. Tacos. I had an urge for guacamole," Jenna said in the kitchen as she held up the brown bag with their dinner inside.

"No, I'm good, thanks," Jeremy said as he head for the back door, putting on his hoodie.

"Eat anyway. It's a ruse. I want to talk," Jenna said, but Jeremy just kept heading for the door, ignoring her. "Hey, you!" Jenna said, putting on the best authoritative voice she could summon from inside her. "Come. Sit." To her surprise Jeremy actually did as told, she didn't let it show though. "Back in school, freshman year, I could eat my weight in nachos, with extra cheese. It was my munchies food for whenever I was crushing on someone," Jenna explained, getting Jeremy's attention.

"Seriously?" Jeremy asked with a light laugh.

"No. That was just to get your attention," Jenna answered honestly, as she began to unpack the meal on the counter in between her and Jeremy. "Now from what I hear, you've gone back to following Scarlett Foster around."

"You hear that from Elena?" Jeremy asked with a groan, not surprised that his sister ratted him out.

"Didn't have to, I heard her yelling at you from hear," Jenna said with a smirk. "So what's so special about this girl then?" Jenna asked as she eat a chip cover in guacamole.

"I don't know...she's just..." Jeremy struggled to find the words to describe her.

"Hot? Smocking? Got a big rack?" Jenna threw out her guesses causing Jeremy to laugh.

"No-no...well yeah. But that's not why I like her. She's strong, tough, but she hides her sensitive side. Did you know she can play Miley Cyrus?" Jeremy asked with a wide smile.

"No. But by all means tell me more," Jenna said as she took another chip from the bag. From then on she listened to Jeremy tell her everything he knew about Scarlett, everything from her favourite colour, her favourite subject, favourite song to her most dreaded class, to what had happened to her parents. Of course Jenna already knew that part. But then Jeremy told her about what had happened that morning and how Scarlett and her uncle had been fighting loudly before she stormed out. Jenna asked if the two argued a lot and from what Jeremy knew, they did nothing but fight.

"I think you and I should pay a visit to Scarlett. Come on," Jenna said as she grabbed her jacket and the two headed for her car that was parked out front. She didn't want to say it to Jeremy, but she had a suspicion that Scarlet's uncle might be beating her. Of course she had no evidence but that was why she was going to Scarlett's home, to make sure the girl was safe. It was bad enough she had to lose her mother to her idiot of a father, but to then get passed off to an abusive uncle. It wouldn't be surprising she was pushing Jeremy and everyone else away.

* * *

Walking up the drive way towards their home, Stefan hadn't said anything the whole walk home. Sarah had tried to get a conversation going but Stefan was still mad at her for trying to make him feed on Elena's friend. Apparently that crossed a line for him. What was she supposed to do? She was hungry and she had to feed. Just because Stefan refused to accept what he was didn't mean she had to.

"You do know I'm trying to help you right?" Sarah asked as they walked towards the old boarding house. When Stefan didn't say anything back she continued on talking. "If you don't get control of your blood lust then who knows what you'll end up doing to Elena." At the mention of his girlfriend's name Stefan stopped and turned to Sarah.

"I have it under control," Stefan said firmly as he locked eyes with his younger sister.

"Do you really. I saw you at that party with Elena. There wasn't even blood around and you lost control, how long do you think it'll be until your tearing out her neck."

"I know what I'm doing Sarah!" Stefan said angrily.

"Really? So tell me, do you always look like that when you 'know what you're doing'?" Sarah asked, staring at Stefan's eyes that had turned bloodshot with black veins. A second later Stefan realised what she was talking about and relaxed his features. Slowly the blood left his eyes and his black veins faded. He closed his eyes and took a calming breath. "I'm just trying to help," Sarah said as she put a hand on her brother's shoulder.

"Well you have a funny way of showing it," Stefan snapped before walking off towards the house. But then he suddenly froze and stopped in mid step. He was listening in on something that was being said inside the house. Sarah also focused her hearing on the house and instantly recognized the voices as her other brother and Elena.

"You say it like every relationship is doomed to end," Elena said form inside the house.

"I'm a fatalist," Damon said. Sarah watched as Stefan run into the house, she didn't waste any time in following him. She wasn't about to let Damon have all the fun in tormenting Stefan. Stefan stopped in the front hallway but Sarah ran towards the wall to hide herself from Elena.

"Hello, Stefan," Damon said before even looking at Stefan. Elena turned back to see her boyfriend standing in the hallway, a serious look on his face. From the corner of his eye Stefan could see Sarah standing against the wall, out of sight from Elena, just waiting to make her entrance. He didn't look at her though, his eyes were focused on Damon and Elena, ready to jump in if Damon made a move.

"Elena, I didn't know you were coming over," Stefan said.

"I know. I should have called, I just..."

"Oh, don't be silly. You're welcome any time. Isn't she, Stefan?" Damon said but Stefan gave no response, only a hard stare at Damon as he cosied up to Elena. "You know, I should break out the family photo albums or some-Ah Sarah, there you are," Damon said as his sister stepped out from the hallway and into the living room.

"Have you met our guest?" Damon asked gesturing to Elena who smiled nervously towards Sarah.

"Hi, I'm Elena," Elena said holding out her hand.

"Sarah. I'm Damon and Stefan's little sister," Sarah said as she shook Elena's hand.

"And isn't she a cutie?" Damon said jokingly as Sarah walked over to him, only to slap him on the arm. "And feisty when it suits her," Damon added with a smirk towards his sister.

"Ignore him. It's what I usually do," Sarah said which caused Elena to laugh a little.

"Thanks for stopping by, Elena. Nice to see you," Stefan said, causing the other three people in the room to look to him, the mood dropping instantly at the sight of his brooding face. He was stood still, eyes focused on his siblings who grinned back at him, mischief in their eyes.

"Yeah, I should probably go. It was nice to meet you Damon, you too Sarah," Elena said politely.

"Great meeting you too Elena," Damon countered charmingly.

"Always the charmer," Sarah said sarcastically with a grin towards Damon, he only grinned back. "If you ever what to know anything about these two, come to me," Sarah said with a subtle wink to Elena which made her laugh.

"Will do," Elena said before turning to leave, but Stefan stood in her way. "Stefan...Stefan?" Elena said to her boyfriend, but he didn't seem to hear her. He was to focused on his smiling siblings, waiting for them to make a move. After a moment he stepped aside allowing Elena to pass but his eyes remained on Damon and Sarah. Elena then left without another word, leaving the Salvatore siblings alone in the house.

"Great gal. Whoo. She's got spunk. You, on the other hand, look pooped. Did you over-exert yourself today? Let me guess...hospital," Damon said all while Stefan continued to stare at both him and Sarah.

"Someone had to clean up your mess," Stefan said sourly as he walked into the room, passing Damon and Sarah.

"And by someone you mean me," Sarah corrected him.

"And you nearly created another mess," snapped Stefan turning back around to his siblings.

"Ooh. What'd ya do this time Sarah?" Damon asked mockingly.

"I tried to have a bite out of the girl and he pulled me off. Then I bit into this other guy and-" Sarah started to explain but Stefan cut in.

"It doesn't matter. The point is the problem has been dealt with."

"No thanks to you. You rushed me so much that I'm not even sure the compulsion worked properly," Sarah snapped back as she marched over to Stefan.

"How long was Elena here?" Stefan asked, ignoring Sarah and looking over to Damon.

"Not long," Damon said with a shrug as he turned to leave.

"What kind of game are you playing, Damon?"

"Guess you'll just have to wait and see, won't you?" Damon said mysteriously as he exited the room. Sarah wasn't far behind him. Her priority now was making sure that whatever Damon was planning wouldn't drive Stefan away. She needed to keep them both together and in Mystic Falls if she was to have any chance of reuniting her family.

It was night before Sarah found Damon again. She had wondered into the mystic grill to escape the crowd outside and then spotted him sitting at a booth in the restaurant alone. Sarah walked over and slide into the seat opposite her brother, flashing him a smile as she sat down. The Grill was busy, mostly because people were waiting inside for the comet to appear in the sky. Sarah and her siblings had already seen it in their life time, and there were more import issues going on than a ball of fire passing through the sky. No one paid any attention to Sarah and Damon, to them they were just two people waiting for the comet to appear. As appose to what they actually were, two vampire siblings.

"What do you want?" Damon asked more harshly than Sarah had been expecting him too.

"I need to know what you're up to," Sarah answered bluntly, her smile turning serious as she stared into her brother's eyes.

"Join the club," Damon replied with a knowing grin as Sarah sighed. Nothing was ever simple with Damon.

"I'm serious Damon."

"And I'm not telling you," Damon snapped back, his mood souring suddenly.

"Damon-"

"Don't start," Damon cut in before Sarah could say anything more. "I know what you're trying to do, just like what you've been trying to do for years now. You really think it's going to end any better than it has in the past?"

"It doesn't have to be this way Damon. We can go back to being a family," Sarah said hopefully as she leaned across the table, looking deeply into her brother's eyes for any sigh of the same hope she had.

"This family's been dead for over a century. Move on. Me and Stefan did a life time ago," Damon said coldly as he got up to leave. He got out his seat but didn't manage to leave the table as Sarah grabbed hold of his wrist.

"I'm not ready to give up," Sarah said sincerely with her heart in her eyes.

"Move on Sarah. Go and start and new family, one that will actually appreciate you," Damon said as he pulled his wrist from Sarah's hand. She knew he was trying to spare her from whatever he was planning, but she could never abandon her brothers. No matter how much they fought, she would never give up on reuniting her family. She watched Damon vanish into the crowd that was in the restaurant and sat for a moment before leaving. Whatever he was planning Sarah was sure he was about to make a move, so she remained close to the town centre and waited.

* * *

Jenna pulled the car to a stop nearby the pickup truck that was parked a few feet from the trailer that was Scarlett's home. Jeremy was out before she had pulled the car to a stop but she wasn't far behind her nephew and they met at the door of the trailer.

"Hold it there cowboy," Jenna said as she grabbed hold of Jeremy's fist that was about to pound on the door. "Let me do the talking," Jenna said pulling Jeremy away from the door as she stepped forward. She didn't want her nephew to start throwing around accusations and if it turned out to be true and he was hostile then she could hold him off while Jeremy ran for help. She then knocked on the door. There was a rustle from inside the trailer and then a few seconds later the door opened.

"What'd ya want?" the man on the other side of the door mumbled.

"You Scarlett's uncle?" Jenna asked, trying her best not to look at his shirt that was at least two sizes too small for him with a big yellow stain on it.

"Who wants to know?" the man grumbled back.

"Concerned citizen. Is Scarlett in?" Jenna asked peering into the trailer, but she couldn't see her.

"No she's not."

"Where is she?"

"How should I know." His reply made Jenna's blood boil, how could a guardian care so little about the child they were supposed to be raising. She would never treat Elena or Jeremy that way and she would be shouting at anyone that tried too. She treated them as if they were her own kids.

"When will she be back?" Jenna asked, clenching her fist and fighting the urge to punch the slob in front of her.

"Hard to tell. Could be a tomorrow, could be a couple of days," the man replied.

"What do you mean?" Jeremy asked from behind Jenna.

"She ran away," answered the man bluntly.

"She what?" Jenna exclaimed in wide eyed shock.

"It's not a big deal. She does it all the time. The longest she lasted was five days before she came crawling back," he sniggered at that for a second before he was slapped by a furious Jenna. "What the Fuc-"

"You, shut up!" Jenna shouted in anger as she glared at the slob of a man that stood caressing his bruised cheek. "Come on Jeremy," Jenna said as she turned on her heel and marched back towards her car. Jeremy ran after her and got into the passenger seat as she started up the car and slammed it into reverse.

"What are we doing?" Jeremy asked as Jenna looked back behind her and started to turn the car around.

"We're going to find Scarlett. And then I'm calling the police," Jenna declared before changing gears and driving back towards the main road that would lead them back to town.

* * *

As it turned out Sarah didn't have to wait long for Damon to make her move. After a few minutes of wondering around the town square she heard the faint sound a girl screaming. She focuses her hearing and tried to find out where the scream came from but instead of more screaming she heard talking.

"You really have to stop screaming," Damon said.

"No, please, stop. Don't..." Sarah recognised the voice as Vicki's and that she was in distress. She looked up to a nearby roof and saw Damon holding Vicki by the edge. She ran over in a blur and then jumped up to the roof, appearing on the other side from Damon and Vicki.

"Not who I was expecting," said Damon when he saw his sister standing across from him. Once he finished Stefan then appeared at Sarah's side, his face serious. "Now that's who I was expecting," Damon said more enthusiastically as he pointed at Stefan.

"Let her go," ordered Stefan.

"Really? Okay," Damon said as he pushed Vicki towards the edge of the roof.

"No!" Vicki screamed but no one below heard her.

"No-no-no!" Stefan quickly said as he stepped forwards his eyes widening. Sarah tried to hold her horror in but she could fell her eyes widen and her lips part as Damon smiled at his siblings.

"Relax," Damon said pulling Vicki back towards him. "I don't need her to be dead...but you might," Damon added with a evil grin as he turned to Vicki. "What attacked you the other night?"

"I don't know. An animal," Vicki said. Sarah already knew Damon's plan. He knew her compulsion had been interrupted by Stefan and as a result would not be as strong. Because of that it would be easy for Damon to override her compulsion and control Vicki.

"Are you sure about that? Think. Think really hard. What attacked you?"

"A vampire," Vicki answered in horrified realisation. Sarah stood still and watched as Damon shattered her compulsion like it was nothing. As far as she was concerned what ever happened to Vicki next was on Stefan, because he wouldn't let her finish her compulsion.

"Who did this to you?" Damon asked, holding Vicki by her shoulders.

"You did!" Vicki shouted.

"Wrong!" Damon said with a sinister smile.

"Don't," Stefan said and in that moment Sarah realised what Damon was about to do.

"Come here," Damon said as he let go of Vicki's shoulders and took hold of her head. He locked eyes with her and began his compulsion. "Stefan Salvatore did this to you."

"Stefan Salvatore did this to me," Vicki repeated as she stared into Damon's eyes.

"He's a vampire. A vicious, murderous monster," Damon continued.

"Please, Damon. Please don't do this," begged Stefan as he stepped closer towards Vicki and his brother. Sarah remind still. She already knew how this was going to end, or at least she thought she did. She knew her brothers too well. Damon was never going to let Vicki rat out Stefan to the town. That would end Damon's eternal torturing of him in an instant. He was just playing with Stefan. So Sarah relaxed her muscles and folded her arms across her chest as she enjoyed the show. A thin smile appearing on her face.

"Let's see what happens now," Damon said as he ripped the bandage from Vicki's neck exposing the dry blood on her neck. He shoved her towards Stefan who caught her, all while Vicki screamed. Sarah laughed as Stefan's face changed and his eyes locked on the blood and Vicki's neck. "I'll let you take it from her sis," Damon said gesturing towards Sarah who nodded appreciatively. In a flash Sarah was beside Stefan, whispering in his ear like she was his inner demon tempting him to feed.

"On you go Stefan. Just look at that blood. Imagine what it tastes like, imagine how much more powerful you'll be once you feed. You'll be in control and you'll be able to protect Elena from anything, even Damon," Sarah whispered into Stefan's ear. He heard her, despite Vicki's panic and struggle to break free of Stefan's grasp on her. With each word from his sister, Stefan's fangs moved closer and closer to Vicki's blood covered neck. "Go on Stefan. Do it for Elena. Drink. Drink her blood. Do it now!"

"No!" Stefan snapped as he pushed Vicki away, his face returning to normal.

"God damn it Stefan," Sarah groaned as she walked over to Damon's side.

"What, I'm sorry, did I disappoint the both of you?"

"Yeah actually," Damon muttered.

"Well I don't care. You can try to do it whatever sneaky way you want, but I won't feed on anyone!" Stefan declared passionately.

"And what about her?" Damon asked pointing to Vicki who was cowering in the far corner of the roof, staring at the three vampires in horror and stunned shock. "If you don't kill her, she'll squeal."

"Oh stop being so dramatic," Sarah said as she walked over to Vicki. Before she could get to Vicki though, Damon ran out in front of her and blocked her path with a glare.

"What do you think you're doing?" Damon snarled as he glared at his sister angrily.

"We both know you're not going to let her expose Stefan. Otherwise you wouldn't be able to torture him for all eternity like you promised him," pointed out Sarah as she stepped around Damon.

"Otherwise you won't be able to torture him for all eternity," Damon said in a high pitch voice that was meant to be an imitation of Sarah but actually sounded nothing like her.

"Over a hundred years and you still haven't got any better at imitating me," Sarah said smugly as she looked back at a scowling Damon, annoyed at her for ruining his fun with Stefan. But knew it was over from the second Stefan said he would let Vicki go and not kill her.

"I've got you Vicki," Sarah said as she knelt down to Vicki's eye level and took hold of her in her arms.

"No," Vicki whimpered as she looked down, tears falling from her face. Sarah would be lying if she said she didn't feel bad for what Vicki had been through the last few days, partly because it was her brother's fault.

"It's okay," Sarah said as she took hold of Vicki's chin and lifted her head. Their eyes connected and Sarah began her compulsion. "Forget everything that happened. You took some pills and woke up on this roof, we found you here. Forget all about me and my brothers being vampires and go back to your life," Sarah commanded as Vicki stared into Sarah's eyes, hypnotized by the beautify forest green colouring . When Sarah was done Vicki shook her head from side to side, like she was waking up after a nap.

"What happened? Where am I? Oh, I ripped my stitches open. Ugh..." Vicki groaned as she looked at her now bleeding neck that was without a bandage.

"Are you okay?" Stefan asked as he approached Vicki and Sarah.

"I took some pills man. I'm good," Vicki said as if she was stoned.

"Take her down to the Mystic Grill. You'll find her brother or someone that will take her off your hands there," Stefan said to Sarah. She nodded before helping Vicki up to her feet and then leading her off the roof. As she left, she heard Damon say to Stefan that he was going to be staying in Mystic Falls for the time being. At least something good had come out of all this. With her two brothers staying in town she'd have a better chance of brining them back together. She'd just have to keep an eye on Damon though, he was clearly up to something and with Damon it was never good.

After a short walk, Sarah entered the Mystic Grill with Vicki holding on to her. Instantly she was swarmed by a group of teenagers that took Vicki from her and sat her down. She was thanked by multiple people but none of their thanks meant anything to her. She actually ignored them all until Elena grabbed her by the shoulder. Sarah looked over her shoulder and smiled at the familiar face.

"Thanks for finding Vicki," Elena said sincerely.

"Actually it was Stefan that found her. Me and Damon just happened to be there. They're...talking, so I brought her here," Sarah explained with a smile to Elena.

"Well, thank you anyway," Elena said before heading over to check on Matt and Vicki. Sarah remained in the restaurant until Vicki's bandages had been replaced by Matt and then decided it was time to leave.

"Hey," Sarah stopped and looked around to see Matt approaching her.

"Hey," replied Sarah as she turned around to face the teenager, her hands shoved in her pockets.

"Elena told me you and Stefan found Vicki. So tell him I said thanks," Matt said as he shyly looked at the ground. Sarah managed to hold down a chuckle, she found it cute that Matt was embarrassed to talk to her.

"I will. And you're welcome," Sarah said turning to leave.

"So do you go to school?" Matt asked, Sarah once again stopping, turning back to him. "It's just I haven't seen you around."

"I was at boarding school for a while, but I got sick of it. I only arrived in town a few days ago," Sarah explained.

"You thinking of going to school here?" Matt asked, finally looking into Sarah's eyes. Sarah laughed a little before bobbing her head back and forth.

"Thinking about it. Take care Matt," Sarah said before finally leaving. Matt smiled to himself and then turned away before his smile turned to a frown. _How did she know his name?_ Matt wondered before seeing his sister and forgetting all about it.

Outside, Sarah was walking down the street when Stefan appeared at her side. She didn't react or comment, just continued walking with him keeping pace.

"You're going to have to do better than that if you want to scare me Stefy," Sarah said looking to her brother with a smirk. He smiled back, which actually surprised her more than his sudden appearance.

"I'll work on it," he joked.

"A smile and a joke!" Sarah said in astonishment. "It must be my lucky day." Stefan chuckled at that. "What's got you in such a good mood?"

"I just got Elena's phone number," Stefan said producing a piece of paper.

"Seriously," Sarah said, eyebrows raising. "It took you this long to get her phone number. No wonder me and Damon are constantly out smarting you," Sarah said, that time Stefan didn't laugh. "So what do you want?" Sarah asked trying to keep the conversation alive.

"I was just going to head home. Care to join me?" Stefan asked.

"You really want me staying in the same house as you?" Stefan shrugged.

"Well, Damon's moving in either way, and if he's going to be living with me it seems silly for you not to," Stefan answered with a thin smile. "So what'd ya say?" Sarah smiled at her brother, a genuine heartfelt smile.

"I'd love to," Sarah answered. She was finally getting somewhere. In one night she had managed to keep both her brothers in town and move them all into the same house. At this rate they'd be back to being a family in no time. And with that Stefan and Sarah headed for home.

Sarah had thought that would have been the end of her night, turns out she was wrong. She and Stefan were sat in the living, Stefan writing in his journal and Sarah reading a book she'd been wanting to reread for a while now. Then suddenly the door bell rang. The two vampires looked to the front door and then to each other before Stefan vamp speeded over to the door and opened it normally.

"Hi," Stefan said as he stood in the doorway.

"Hey," Elena said back.

"Would you like to come in?" Stefan asked stepping aside. Elena peered in and could see Sarah sat on the couch looking directly at her. The two smiled and waved to each other before Sarah looked back down at her book, though honestly she wasn't reading and was still listening in on the two.

"The comet's actually this way," Elena said as she pointed behind her and walked back outside. As Stefan followed her outside, Sarah sat her book down and slowly walked over towards the front door, listening to the two all the way.

"Sorry for barging in. Especially after earlier," Elena apologised.

"No, no. I'm glad you're here. The way we left things...I didn't like it." Sarah had no idea what the two were talking about but that didn't stop her from listening as she approached the doorway unnoticed.

"See, the thing is, I got home tonight planning on doing what I always do, write in my diary, like I have been since my mom gave me one when I was ten. It's where I get everything out, everything I'm feeling. It all goes in this little book that I hide on the second shelf behind this really hideous ceramic mermaid. But then I realized that I'd just be writing things that I should probably be telling you," Elena explained, all while Stefan listened patiently.

"What would you write?" Stefan asked.

"I would write... Dear diary, today I convinced myself it was ok to give up. Don't take risks. Stick with the status quo. No drama, now is just not the time. But my reasons aren't reasons, they're excuses. All I'm doing is hiding from the truth, and the truth is that...the world's just going to come crashing down, and I...don't know if I can survive that."

"Do you want to know what I would write?" Stefan asked, Elena nodded her head gently. "I met a girl. We talked. It was epic. But then the sun came up and reality set in. Well, this is reality. Right here," Stefan said as he stepped closer to Elena. Then he leaned in, and they kissed. Then Elena took hold of his face, and he hers, and they kissed again. And Sarah watched them, leaning against the doorway with a smile on her face. As much as she loved to tease and annoy her brother, it brought her nowhere near as much joy as it did when she saw him this happy. When Stefan pulled away from Elena and looked towards the door, Sarah was already gone.

"What is it?" Elena asked looking towards the doorway.

"Nothing," Stefan said with a smile before they went back to kissing.


	3. Friday Night Bites

_Thanks for all the new favourites and follows you guys! And thank you to Charmedbycharmed and tablekorner for your reviews! No, I haven't got any plans for Sarah's romantic life yet, so feel free to make suggestions, but for the first story at least, she'll be single. And yes, Sarah hasn't been always trying to get her family back together, just like how Damon wasn't always trying to make Stefan feel miserable. It's been over a hundred years! Things change and then change back, just like they did in the show..._

* * *

 **Chapter 3: Friday Night Bites**

* * *

It had been a restless night for Jeremy. He'd at most gotten two hours of sleep. He was up most of the time thinking of Scarlett, trying to think of where she would have gone. He'd tried to leave the house twice in the middle of the night but had been caught by Jenna and Elena both times. They both told him the same thing, too wait until morning. She'd be sleeping somewhere most likely and would be impossible to find, plus the police were out looking anyway and Jeremy would only get in there way. He listened to them and went back to bed but didn't get anymore sleep.

The next morning when he was on his way to school he turned towards the centre of town and started searching side alleys for Scarlett. He went up and down, asking the odd homeless person he came across if he had seeing Scarlett. The two of them said they hadn't. He continued searching for another half an hour before Jenna then spotted him as she drove past.

"Jeremy!" she shouted as she pulled over and got out the car. Jeremy turned to run and got a few feet away before Jenna shouted "Stop!" and he did as told. He turned around to find his aunt marching over towards him, anger in her eyes. "What do you think you're doing?"

"I'm looking for Scarlett," Jeremy answered, as if it were obvious. Jenna closed her eyes and sighed heavily. She knew what Scarlett meant to him and knew how determined he was to find her. But at the same time Jenna was responsible for him, not Scarlett, and so her first priority was to make sure he was ok and safe.

"Look Jeremy. I know you want to find Scarlett but the police are looking and you're supposed to be in school," Jenna said calmly.

"How can I sit in school and do nothing when Scarlett's out there by herself?" Jeremy asked.

"I know it's hard but you have to go to school. Once I'm finished work I'll pick you up and we can go looking for her but the police are out there right now looking for her. If they find her I'm sure they'll call me and I'll call you. But please, Jeremy, I just need to know your safe and at school. Please, for me," begged Jenna, taking hold of Jeremy by his shoulders and looking into his eyes. After a while Jeremy finally submitted and returned with Jenna to the car. She dropped him off at school and said she'd call him in between periods to check in on him. And that she'd be calling Elena to make sure Jeremy wasn't ditching school.

* * *

Stefan had left for school a couple of hours ago and Sarah hadn't see Damon at all since she officially moved into the Salvatore boarding house. Stefan had told her before leaving that Zach was also living in the house and that she was to respect him. Sarah had made some comments about him being a good health breakfast but after a stern look from Stefan she promised not feed on Zach. She hadn't even seen him since stepping foot in the house so she didn't think much more about him after Stefan left.

She had wondered around the house for an hour or so, getting reacquainted with her old, or new, home. She found herself in the kitchen after a while and made herself a small snack consisting of a few apple slices, some grapes and cheese. It was more filling than Sarah had expected, however she might just not have been that hungry. Her blood lust was at bay so there was no need to hunt down a local blood bag, or as Stefan would call them 'people'. She could have gone looking for Damon but she had no leads, and she was pretty sure that he'd show up at the boarding house sooner or later. She knew Stefan was at school with Elena and didn't see any need to be there for the time being so instead she decided to get some exercise.

She headed to her room and changed into a black tank top and sweatpants with sneakers. She tied her head back in a long black pony tail and then went out for a run. She jogged at normal human pace around the property line, passing through the forest. She did two laps before retrieving some punching bags from the large shed next to the house and taking them out and into the forest. She positioned them on either side of her and then began punching them at vampire speed. Hitting one after the other, Sarah spun around on her heels kicking and punching the bags until she eventually broke them because of her strength. She had cracked the side and the grain from inside was leaking out all over the forest floor.

 _I'll get Zach to clean it up._ Sarah thought to herself with a grin. She stood over the broken punching bag for a moment before she heard something in the distance. Her head snapped to the direction the sound had come from but she didn't see anything. She focused her hearing and heard the sound of footsteps in the distance along with a heartbeat.

Sarah ran towards the sound and quickly spotted a teenage girl walking through the forest with a backpack on. Sarah ran behind her, snapping a twig as she did, but she was gone by the time the girl looked back to see what had caused the noise. When she turned back to the direction she was walking in, Sarah was stood in front of her. The girl stepped back and Sarah gave her a friendly smile. She looked the teenager up and down. She was dressed in a white t-shirt with a red shirt over and finally a navy hoodie over that. On her lower half she had ripped jeans that exposed her knees and worn sneakers. The backpack on her back looked heavy like she was camping, but the bag was too small to contain all she need to survive in the wild and from her age Sarah guessed she should really be in school. Finally Sarah looked up to the girl's face. Her lower lip was trembling ever so slightly, though she seemed to be trying to keep it still. Her breathing was quite but heavy and her eyes were locked on Sarah's. She could see the girl was clearly scared off her, but then again she couldn't blame her. She had just appeared from out of nowhere in the middle of the forest, that would scare anyone that was alone.

"Hello," Sarah said after a moment, keeping up her friendly smile.

"Hey," said the girl, drawing out the word as she said it.

"Mind telling me what you're doing out here?" Sarah asked as she stepped closer to the girl, who then stepped back again. "Ok, how about we start with something simple. What's your name?" Sarah asked. The girl hesitated before answering.

"Scarlett," she answered as she pushed her dark brown hair out of her face.

"Nice to meet you Scarlett, I'm Sarah," Sarah introduced herself as stepped towards her. This time Scarlett didn't back away from her. Sarah looked down at Scarlett's stomach, despite the three layers of cloths she had on, Sarah could tell the girl was hungry. Primarily because she could hear Scarlett's stomach softly growling. Sarah took another look at the girl. She was pale and looked tired. She reminded Sarah of many children she'd seen, particularly ones that ran away from home. Not the ones that ran off as a cry for attention, but the ones that ran because they feared for their lives. "You hungry?" Sarah asked.

"I'm good thanks," Scarlett lied as she looked down at her feet. Sarah wasn't willing to accept that answer. She lifted up Scarlett's face and made her look into her own eyes.

"The truth," ordered Sarah with her compulsion.

"I'm hungry," Scarlett answered before a look of confusion passed over her face. She didn't know why she had just said that, she hadn't wanted to.

"Come on then," Sarah gestured for Scarlett to follow her as she began walking back towards the house. She took a few steps and then realised that Scarlett wasn't following her. She stopped and turned back to Scarlett with a thin smile. "Look, I'm going to eat one way or the other. You can either come with me and eat, or you can die," Sarah explained, though she doubted that Scarlett knew that Sarah was going to eat her if she didn't come with her. It took a moment but Scarlett then began following Sarah towards the Salvatore boarding house.

When they got to the house, Sarah took Scarlett in through the back door and into the kitchen. Scarlett dropped her stuff by the bench in the kitchen and sat down while Sarah pulled some food together in the kitchen. What she produced was two cheese sandwiches that didn't look very appealing, with a cut up banana and a glass of orange juice. Though it may not have been the nicest looking thing around, Scarlett ate it up quick enough. While the teenager ate, Sarah took an apple and bit down on it.

"So, what were you doing in the forest?" Sarah asked as she chewed her apple from opposite Scarlett who was eating her snack. Scarlett looked at Sarah but didn't answer. "Tell me," ordered Sarah as she stared into Scarlet's eyes and compelled her.

"I was running away from home," Scarlett answered as she stopped eating and continued to look into Sarah's eyes. Turns out Sarah's suspicions had been right, the girl was a runaway child.

"From now on, when I ask you a question, you will answer honestly," Sarah ordered before breaking off her compulsion and allowing Scarlet to return to her meal. She waited a second before asking her next question. "Why'd you run away?"

"My uncle's a douche," Scarlett answered without even looking up.

"That it? Don't see why that would make you run away."

"I live with him."

"What happened to your parents?" Sarah asked after a moment, growing more curious as she took another bite out of her apple. Scarlett hesitated before answer, but Sarah waited. She knew Scarlett couldn't stop the effects of her compulsion and sooner or later she'd tell her.

"My mom...My mom was killed...by my dad." Sarah's eyes widened at this. "He was always violent but my mom always protected me. He beat her and beat her but she never fought back. I never understood why. Then one night, dad came in. He was drunk. I was a kid but I knew he was drunk. He came in to our house, shouting at my mom about how she was a freak, a monster, a wild animal that had to be put down. Mom hid me in the bathroom and told me to lock the door. Next thing I know my dad's screaming, and then I hear this…growl. Like from a tiger or lion or something. But I stay in the bathroom just like mom told me. I hear a fight break out, moving from room to room around me. Then I heard a gunshot. Then another. And another. And another..." Tears were welling up in Scarlett's eyes but she kept going anyway, forced to by the compulsion. Sarah was too engrossed in the story to order Scarlett to stop.

"Then nothing... I waited in that bathroom for what felt like hours until I heard police sirens. They tried to get in but the door was locked. They told me to unlock it, but I didn't. They kicked it down and then I found a gun in my face. I saw the offers finger twitch, but he didn't fire... I was a second from death. If I hadn't been curled up on the floor...he might have shot me," Scarlett said as she wiped away her tears, only for them to be replaced by new ones.

"They took me outside but I saw into the living room as I passed it..." She stopped for a moment. Her features screwed up as she tried not to continue, tears now flowing down her checks. Despite her will she wasn't able to stop the compulsion. "I saw my mom...spread out on the ground...a bullet hole in her leg. Two in her chest...and one in her head. I saw her eyes...there was nothing in them." Scarlett took in a deep breath, trying to stop herself form crying.

"I started screaming before I was outside. The police had to drag me out. Things only got worse when I saw my dad in the back of a police car." Sarah watched as the teenagers eyes changed from sad teary waterfalls, to a hard stone cold stare. "I wanted to kill him. He took my mom from me and I wanted to kill him so badly." Scarlet had begun to shake, all over. "He was a monster. She had always protected me from him. Then they dumped me off with my uncle. The only reason he took me was so he could get his hands on my inheritance. Just so he could waste it all on gambling and alcohol," Scarlett said before going quite. She had finished answering the question Sarah had asked. She had told her what happened to her parents. Now she was just looking down at what was left on her plate. She'd had enough.

"Does he hurt you?" Sarah asked, her voice stern and serious. But most importantly, angry.

"He has. But I always hit him first," answered Scarlett back, not sounding to concerned about the matter.

"Do you want me to kill him?" Sarah asked and Scarlett looked up and into Sarah's eyes. She thought for a moment, her face cold and hard, not giving away her thoughts.

"No. Because I want to do it," Scarlett answered coldly. Sarah smiled at her.

"Good luck to you," Sarah said before taking another bite out of her apple. After a long pause Scarlett finally spoke again.

"Can I leave now?" Scarlett asked.

"Sure. Take what you want from the fridge and get out," Sarah said as she continued to eat her apple, almost like she was ignoring the teenager. Scarlett didn't care, she was used to being ignored. She had supplies in her backpack, which was already full, and didn't need anything more from Sarah so she just headed for the door. She reached for the handle but when she pulled it open Sarah appeared beside her and slammed the door closed. Scarlett jumped and looked to Sarah who stared back at her with a calculating smile. "You'll forget about me and that I invited you back here. You'll go back into the woods and continue doing what you were doing before I found you. And one day, soon...you'll kill that uncle you hate so much. When you do, come and find me," commanded Sarah, all while Scarlett stared helplessly into her forest green eyes. After that Sarah let the girl leave and then finished off her apple before getting changed back into her causal cloths.

The next few hours were slow and boring for Sarah until Damon returned. Sarah had been sat in the living room when the front doors were thrown open and her brother came waltzing in with a smug grin on his face.

"Someone's looking awfully pleased with himself," Sarah said observantly as she sat up on the couch.

"I've been having a good day so far," Damon said as he walked into the room and smiled down at Sarah.

"Care to share?"

"I'm not one to kiss and tell," Damon replied before turning on Sarah and walking out. He was halfway down the hallway when Sarah appeared in front of him, a curious smile on her lips.

"What are you up to, Damon?" Sarah asked as she stared into her brother's icy blue eyes.

"I'm not in the mood for twenty questions Sarah," Damon said sourly as he tried to step around his sister but Sarah grabbed him by his jacket and pushed him up against the wall.

"Stefan may be too weak to fight you. But don't forget I'm just as strong as you," snarled Sarah in between her teeth as she held Damon against the wall. Damon just grinned back at her and then a second later it was Sarah pressed against the wall.

"You may be just as strong sis, but we both know who'd win," Damon snarled as he crushed Sarah's windpipe. He continued to strangle her for a second, watching her gasp for air before letting her go. Sarah dropped down on all fours and took in a huge breath. Once she had recovered she looked up to see Damon holding out his hand. She took it and he pulled her up. When she was stood back up Damon flashed her a smile. "You know what? I'm sorry. I'm just a bit tired, didn't get much sleep last night," Damon said as he waggled his eyebrows up and down. It wasn't hard for Sarah to get the innuendo in her brother's words. "How about you and I spent some quality brother sister time?" Damon suggested.

"What'd you have in mind?" Sarah asked, folding her arms and watching Damon curiously.

"How about classic bonding experience...reading through Stefan's diaries," Damon said with a found grin. Sarah couldn't help but smile at the idea. It was true, she had fond memories from over the years when she and Damon had gone through Stefan's journal while making fun of him. It wasn't the most normal of bonding experiences, but it worked for her and Damon.

"Fine. But don't think I'm done with you," warned Sarah as she walked around Damon and towards the stairs.

"Wouldn't dream of it," Damon replied with a thin smile before following his sister up to Stefan's room. It wasn't hard for them to find his journals, he didn't hide them. He had them laid out in order of year in his bookshelf. Sarah had gone to grab the most recent one but Damon beat her too it, so she was stuck with the most recently finished journal. She flicked through it, trying to find something she didn't already know while she lay on her brother's bed. Damon had taken up the chair at Stefan's desk and was reading through his brother's most recent entries.

"Listen to this," Damon said after letting out a chuckle. He cleared his voice and then put on a mocking serious voice that made Sarah laugh when he spoke. "I had a plan. I wanted to change who I was; create a life as someone new, someone without the past. Without the pain. Someone alive." At the last sentence both Sarah and Damon burst out laughing. When they calmed down Damon continued. "But it's not that easy. The bad things stay with you. They follow you," Damon said, Sarah giggling from the bed as he spoke. "You can't escape them, as much as you want to." Halfway through the sentence Damon fell apart and started laughing, only just able to finish the sentence. Sarah was laughing as well, the two laughing so hard they were almost crying and that Damon nearly fell out the chair and onto the floor at one point. Once they stopped laughing Sarah returned to flicking through Stefan's diary until he walked into the room a couple of minutes later.

"How were tryouts?" Damon asked without looking up. Neither of Stefan's siblings actually looked up from what they were reading, however Sarah did look to her eldest brother when he mentioned something she didn't know about.

"Tryouts for what?" Sarah asked as Stefan walked over to Damon.

"For the football team," Damon answered as Stefan snatched his diary from him and then turned towards Sarah. He was about to grab hold of the book in Sarah's hand but she then ran over to other side of the room before he could.

"Ah, ah, ah," Sarah said as she wiggled her finger back and forth with a taunting smile. Stefan just turned to her and glared, while Damon remained seated in the chair grinning. "Tell me what he's talking about, and I'll give it back," Sarah said, holding the diary close to her chest. Stefan walked over and tried to grab it but Sarah held it out of reach and then pushed him back, laughing as he stumbled.

"Fine. Elena talked me into trying out for the football team. I did and I was great so now I'm on the team," Stefan explained sourly before holding out his hand for the diary.

"And I'm sure your vampire powers gave you no advantage whatsoever," Sarah said teasingly as she slapped the book into Stefan's hand. He said nothing as he put the two books away, but Damon let out a chuckle.

"What are you doing here, Damon?" asked Stefan as he turned away from the bookshelf and looked to Damon.

"I've come to apologize. I've been doing some thinking, some soul searching, and...I want us to start over. We need to put the past behind us. You're my little brother and if you want to live a normal, happy human life, then I want that for you. Maybe I can do it too. Maybe I can learn to be a nonliving, living, person. Maybe there's hope for the both us," Damon said as he got out the chair and approached his brother. At the start, Sarah had a slimmer of hope that he genuinely meant what he said. But with each new word that came out of his mouth, the more that hope faded. She wasn't even surprised when Damon broke out laughing, unable to keep a straight face as he stared at his brother. Stefan didn't laugh, nor did Sarah.

"You know it doesn't have to be this way," Stefan said as Damon pulled himself together.

"We can be a family again," Sarah added, stepping up to Stefan's side.

"Sure we could," Damon said with a teasing grin. "I saw Elena today, BTW. That means 'by the way'. She was at cheerleading practice. She looked so perky in her little short shorts," Damon said, watching as Stefan's fists clenched and his eyes start to tremble with anger. "Just simmer down, I didn't even go near her. I've got my own cheerleader now."

"Seriously?" Sarah asked, her eyebrows lifting up in genuine surprise. In all the years she'd known Damon she'd never seen him with a cheerleader, she imagined that he would hate them. They were happy and perky, both things he hated.

"I know right." Damon said with a grin. "Oh, that reminds me. I gotta run." Damon said, turning and heading for the door of Stefan's bedroom. "I have a date," Damon finished as he vanished out the room. Stefan turned to speak to Sarah but when he looked she had vanished from his side. He then shook his head and sighed. His siblings only ever brought him trouble.

Sarah followed Damon on foot as he returned to Mystic Falls. She followed him through the housing estates until he stopped outside of one and knocked on the door. Sarah watched from the shadows down the street as blonde teenager answered the door. The two stood and talked for a moment and in that time Sarah recognized the girl from the party Stefan had gone to with Elena. She knew the girl was called Caroline but hadn't seen her since the party. Apparently Damon had though. There was no doubt in her mind that Damon was compelling Caroline, why else would the girl be going out with Damon.

She continued to watch until suddenly she found herself on the front porch of the house. Caroline didn't seem fazed by Sarah's sudden appearance as she smiled at her with a wide eyed stare. Sarah then looked to her left and saw Damon looking down at her with a smug grin.

"Hello, Sarah," Damon said as he held onto her arm. She yanked it away from him but made no attempt to run. She had nothing to fear from Damon and she knew it. He probably knew she was following him before he even left the house. Now that she thought about it she remembered him suddenly stopping and then looking around before continuing on.

"So is this you're date?" Sarah asked casually as she turned to Caroline with a smile. "I thought you said blondes were stupid," Sarah said then watching as Caroline looked to Damon with a hurt expression.

"But that was before I met Caroline. Oh, by the way, Sarah, this is Caroline. Caroline, meet my sister, Sarah," Damon said, skilfully avoiding Sarah's attempt to muck things up with Caroline. It wouldn't have matter. Damon would have just compelled her to be okay with it if she started kicking up a fuss.

"Nice to meet you, Sarah," Caroline said with a smile as she held out her hand.

"Likewise," Sarah said as she shook Caroline's hand. "So where are you two off to?" Sarah asked looking to Damon.

"We're going to-" Caroline started to answer but Damon quickly put his finger to her lips and she stopped talking.

"Don't talk to her, Caroline. She's just as devious as me," Damon said eyeing his sister who just stared back at him. She wasn't planning anything, he probably knew that, she was just keeping an eye on him. The question was whether or not he was okay with her following him for the time being.

"Damon, I'm hurt." Sarah said putting her hand over her chest. "I just wanted to meet the girl my brother is falling in love with," Sarah said causing Caroline to gasp.

"Really?" She asked with wide hopeful eyes.

"No," Damon said with a glare which silenced Caroline. "What are you up to, Sarah?" Damon asked turning back to his sister.

"Just wanted to have a meal with my brother," Sarah said with an innocent smile. Damon didn't buy it for a minute but Sarah didn't need him to. Before he could blink Sarah grabbed hold of Caroline's hand and pulled her out onto the porch, she ripped the scarf from her neck and dug her fangs in, sucking up the blood as it came pouring out. When Sarah looked up from her meal, Damon was taken aback, looking around in case anyone had seen them. No one had, Sarah had listened around for heartbeats and there were none nearby.

"What are you doing?" hissed Damon angrily.

"Just having a bite," Sarah teased as she licked her lips of blood, her eyes still red with black veins. "You want some?" Sarah asked pushing Caroline over towards him. Damon snarled at Sarah before shoving Caroline back inside the house and stepping in after her. "What, not going to invite me in?" Sarah asked mockingly as her face returned to normal and she licked more of the blood from her face. Damon just shot her a glare before slamming the door.

Sarah listened for the next half an hour as Damon ordered Caroline about, getting her to shower and then feeding her his blood so she'd be healed up in time for where they were going. He even made her chance out of her bloody cloths. While the two of them played house, Sarah waited patiently on the porch, leaning against the banister with her arms folded. When the door opened again, Damon was the first one to step out. When he spotted Sarah he shot her a glare and she smiled back at him.

"You're not going to bite her again are you?" Damon asked.

"Not unless I'm hungry," Sarah answered smugly.

"Are you hungry?"

"I thought you didn't like twenty questions?" Sarah asked sarcastically with her head tilted. She saw Damon smile before he ran at her and grabbed her by the throat, pushing her against the banister. His smile had gone and was replaced by a angry snarl.

"I've had enough of your games, Sarah. Keep getting in my way, and I won't hesitate in killing you," Damon snarled, leaning in towards Sarah as he tightened his grip around her throat. After another second of Damon glaring at her, he released her and stepped backwards. Sarah straightened herself up and rubbed her burning throat, she knew it would heal soon enough but it still hurt like hell.

"So where's Caroline?" Sarah asked as let her hand fall to her side.

"Out you come Caroline," Damon said and the teenage blonde stepped out of her house holding in her hands a homemade desert.

"Is it safe?" Caroline asked nervously.

"It is," Damon said as Sarah approached Caroline. He eyed her cautiously but let her approach his cheerleader.

"Sorry, Caroline. I was just so hungry, and you were just so tasty. I couldn't stop myself. Can you forgive me?" Sarah asked with sad eyes as she pretended to apologize. Caroline looked to Damon for him to tell her what to do. He nodded and Caroline looked back to Sarah with a forgiving smile.

"It's okay, Sarah. Damon's just the same. But next time I'd appreciate a bit of warning."

"I'll be sure to tell you next time I'm feeling peckish," Sarah said with a grin, Caroline just smiled back as if it were all normal.

"Come on, Caroline. We're already behind schedule," Damon said as he walked off the porch.

"Can Sarah come with us?" Caroline asked and Damon turned around to the two girls on the porch. "Please, I really like her," pleaded Caroline. Damon looked from the cheerleader to his sister and then let out a sigh.

"Sure. The more the merrier I guess," Damon said as he smiled at his sister and Caroline.

"Yay!" Caroline shrieked as she jumped up and down.

"Alright, alright, now come on," Damon said, not as enthusiastic as Caroline, as he waved for them to follow him. The two followed him off the porch and they got into his car. There was a small argument over who was going in the back, but Damon put an end to it when he shoved Sarah into the back seat. She grumbled about it for a while but then stopped when Damon pulled the car to a stop. She looked out the window and instantly knew where they were.

"What are we doing at Elena's house?" Sarah asked with a frown.

"Elena's having a small dinner party with Stefan and Bonnie," explained Caroline as she looked into the back seat.

"And we're going to crash it. You in?" Damon asked looking into the back seat along with Caroline. Sarah looked from one smiling face to the other smug one and then smiled herself.

"Let's do it," Sarah said as the three exited the car and walked up to Elena's front door. Caroline rang the bell and a few seconds later the door was opened by Elena.

"Surprise! Bonnie said you were doing dinner, so we brought dessert," Caroline said enthusiastically as she stepped into the house.

"Hope you don't mind," Damon said with a charming smile as he and Sarah waited out on the porch. At the sound of his brother's voice, Stefan entered the hallway with a shocked expression on his face.

"Damon, Sarah, what are you doing here?" Stefan asked as his eyes flicked between the two of them.

"We're waiting for Elena to invite us in," Sarah said with a smile as she looked to Elena along with Damon. Both waiting for her to say the words that would allow them access to the house.

"Oh, yeah, you can-" Elena stared, not thinking twice about it, but Stefan stepped in before she could finish.

"No, no, no. They can't...they can't stay. Can you?" Stefan said looking to his siblings. Sarah had no idea what Stefan was thinking when he said that. There was no way she or Damon would pass up this opportunity to earn access to Elena's house and to torture Stefan even more.

"Come on you two, get in here," Caroline said, waiting in the archway that led into the kitchen.

"We're just finishing up," Stefan said, looking to Elena as he tried to convince her it was a bad idea to invite his siblings in. But she didn't seem to get the message by what she said next.

"It's fine. Just come on in guys," Elena said to Damon and Sarah as she stepped aside. The two siblings looked to Stefan and smiled before each entering the house, looking around as they winked at Stefan when no one could see them doing so.

"You have a beautiful home, Elena," Damon said as he looked to her.

"Thank you," Elena said, not realising the danger she was in now having let in both Sarah and Damon. Stefan's eyes continued to flick between his siblings but as they moved apart it became harder for him to keep an eye on both of them.

"Who do we have in here?" Sarah asked, stepping into the living room to find a dark skinned girl sitting of the couch. She recognised this girl from the party as well. It was quite convenient that she'd already seen all of Elena's friends, now she just had to learn their names.

"Sarah, this is Bonnie Bennett," Elena said stepping into the living room after Sarah. "Bonnie, this is Sarah, Stefan's younger sister," Elena introduced the two to one another.

"Hello," Sarah said rising her hand for a handshake.

"Hey there," Bonnie said before shaking Sarah's hand. After that the group quickly got settled in the living room and had desert before returning to ideal chatter. Elena was sat on the couch with Stefan on her right and Sarah on her left, while Damon sat in an armchair with Caroline on his lap and Bonnie sat by herself in the other armchair.

"I cannot believe that Mr Tanner let you on the team. Tyler must be seething. But good for you. Go for it," Caroline said, referring to the gossip from school about Stefan getting on the football team.

"That's what I always tell him and Sarah. You have to engage. You can't just sit there and wait for life to come to you. You have to go get it," Damon said.

"Really? I don't recall you saying that once," Sarah said with a raised eyebrow as she looked over to Damon.

"See what I have to deal with. They don't even listen to me," Damon exclaimed earning a laugh from Caroline.

"So, Sarah, when are you going to be starting at school?" Bonnie asked.

"She won't be," Stefan answered before Sarah could.

"Really?" Sarah said in a questioning manor as she looked to her other brother.

"That's what you said to me," Stefan lied.

"I said I was thinking about it," Sarah said with a sly smile to Stefan. He didn't show it but she knew he was screaming on the inside. With Sarah at school there would be no part of his life that hadn't been affected by his siblings.

"Well if you do you have to try out for the cheerleading squad. We could use more substitutes especially since Elena got back," Caroline said, not so subtly. When she noticed Elena staring at her she quickly tried to correct her mistake. "It's only because you missed summer camp. I don't know how you're ever going to learn the routines."

"I'll work with her," Bonnie cut in with a hard tone, trying to get Caroline to stop before she said something she'd regret. She loved her friend but she had a habit of putting her foot in her mouth at times such as this.

"I guess we can put her in the back," Caroline thought aloud.

"I wouldn't have pictured you as a cheerleader, Elena," Sarah said looking to Elena.

"I was just about to say the same thing," Damon added.

"Oh, it's just cause her parents died. Yeah, I mean, she's just totally going through a 'blah' phase. She used to be way more fun. And I say that with complete sensitivity," Caroline said.

"Really? She seems pretty fun to me just now," Sarah interjected. Elena gave her a soft smile before looking to down to the ground. Looking behind Elena, Sarah could see Stefan glaring at her. She teased him by licking her lips and looking down at Elena's neck. Stefan subtle put his arm around Elena, ready to protect her. Sarah just grinned at him before Damon then spoke up.

"I'm sorry Elena. I know what it's like to lose both your parents. In fact, me, Stefan and Sarah have watched almost every single person we've ever cared about die," Damon said, motioning to his siblings.

"We don't need to get into that right now," Stefan said sternly.

"Oh, you know what, you're right, Stefan. I'm sorry. The last thing I wanted to do was bring her up," Damon said. Sarah's head quickly snapped around to Damon and she glared at him with cold eyes, warning him not to bring her up. He just winked at her, only making Sarah's blood heat up even more. She couldn't believe her brother had mentioned Katherine. She was all for messing with Stefan but that crossed a line. The woman had ruined her family's lives and in her eyes it was never suitable to bring her up.

Sarah wasn't the only one to have tensed up at the mention of the mysterious Katherine, the whole room had apart from Damon who just smiled carelessly at his siblings who glared back at him. After a while Elena announced she was going to start cleaning up and headed into the kitchen. Damon went to follow her but Sarah pushed him down into her spot and went in his place, taking a glass Elena had left behind.

"You missed one," Sarah said as she stepped into the kitchen.

"Oh, thanks," Elena said taking the glass, only to have it slip through her wet fingers. It would have hit the ground if Sarah hadn't grabbed it from bellow.

"There you go," Sarah said with a smiling, handing the glass back over to Elena.

"Nice catch. You have good reflexes," Elena complemented Sarah as she put the glass in the dishwasher and then closed it up.

"Thanks. It runs in my family," Sarah lied as she leaned back against the counter and folded her arms.

"Were you serious when you said if I wanted to know anything about Stefan I could come to you?" Elena asked as she turned to face Sarah with a frown.

"Of course," Sarah said with a thin smile.

"What's the deal with Katherine?" Elena asked. The question took Sarah a back. The smile all but dropped from her face and her eyes shot to the ground at the mention of Katherine. She did her best to control her anger but Elena saw her tense up and start to shake as she clenched her fist.

"I'm not sure-"

"Sarah, please," Elena said, locking eyes with the Salvatore sister. She hesitated before finally answering.

"Like Damon said. We've watched a lot of people we all cared about die," Sarah started off as she gripped hold of the counter.

"Was Katherine one of those people?" Elena's question caused Sarah to grit her teeth. She would never say she cared about Katherine, but she had died and Damon and Stefan had both cared about her despite Sarah's opinions.

"Sort of, she died," Sarah answered, quick to continue before Elena could question her answer. "It was a couple of months back."

"What was she like?" Elena asked curiously.

"She was..." Sarah's eyes lifted up and locked with Elena's before she continued. "Beautiful. A lot like you in that sense. But that didn't stop her from being selfish and manipulative," Sarah said, anger rising in her voice.

"So she dated both Damon and Stefan?" Elena asked as she leaned back against the counter and folded her arms.

"Yes."

"Which one dated her first?"

"Depends on who you ask," Sarah said coldly, memories of Katherine coming back to her. She really hated talking about her, even hearing the name made her insides twist.

"What do you say?" Elena asked looking deeply into Sarah's forest green eyes.

"I stopped caring about Katherine a long time ago," Sarah said as she turned to leave. She couldn't stand looking at Elena any longer. All she could think about was killing her, what with the constant questions about Katherine. Sarah didn't see Elena, she saw someone how looked exactly like Katherine and when she saw her all the memories of Katherine came rushing back. Along with all the pain and hurt she'd brought to her and her brothers.

"I'm sorry," Elena's words caused Sarah to stop in her movements and look back over her shoulder to the girl. "Clearly it's a sensitive subject for all of you. I'm sorry for pushing you," Elena said, sincerity in her eyes as she apologized. "But thank you for talking to me."

"Anytime," Sarah said with a smile before leaving, passing Bonnie as she returned to the living room where Caroline was talking about Matt to Stefan and Damon for some reason.

"That's a really nice scarf," Stefan cut in, eyeing Caroline's neck as Sarah entered. Stefan was still on the sofa and Damon had returned to his original spot with Caroline sat on his lap.

"Thank you, it's new," Caroline said as Damon eyed Stefan with a smirk.

"Can I see it? I mean, would you mind taking it off?" Stefan asked calmly.

"Oh, I can't," Caroline said instinctively.

"Why not?" Stefan pressed her, confusion passing over Caroline's face. "You ok?"

"Of course she is," Damon cut in before looking up to Caroline. "Why don't you go and help Elena in the kitchen. I need to have a word in privet with my brother and sister," Damon said.

"But I don't want too," moaned Caroline like a child.

"Go and help Elena in the kitchen," order Damon as he stared into Caroline's eyes. Both Sarah and Stefan knew he was compelling her. Once he broke off eye contact, Caroline got off of him and headed for the kitchen leaving the three Salvatore siblings alone in the living room.

"They're people, Damon. She's not a puppet. She doesn't exist for your amusement, for you to feed on whenever you want," Stefan said angrily as he leaned over towards his brother in the armchair across from him.

"You should tell Sarah that," Damon said smugly as Stefan snapped around to Sarah who was standing nearby him.

"What? It was only a bite," Sarah said in an none caring tone as she looked over her nails. Stefan ignored her comment and turned back to Damon who had tried to shift the spotlight off of him. He'd done it many times before, sometimes it even worked.

"You're the problem here, Damon. Sarah may not be perfect but she has more control than you and at least she's trying." Sarah smiled a little at that. She liked Stefan standing up for her and defending her. It was moments like this that made her think she had a real chance of reuniting her family.

"I'm trying," Damon said defensively. "Do you know how hard it is, not to go into that kitchen and kill everyone of those girls?" Damon said as if it were a real problem. Stefan just sighed and shook his head.

"Alright, fine, you've had your fun. But now it's time for you to go," Stefan said authoritatively which made Damon chuckle before leaning over in his seat towards Stefan.

"That's not a problem. Because, I've been invited in. And because of that, I can come back whenever I want," Damon said victoriously.

"I won't let you," Stefan said as he stood up, trying to intimidate Damon. Damon just smiled back and got up.

"You can't watch her all the time," Damon whispered in his ear, but Sarah heard. Damon then pushed past Stefan and made his way for the door. "Come on, Sarah, let's go and grab a bit to eat."

"I'm good," Sarah said, staying put as Damon turned around in slight surprise.

"Fine, more for me," Damon said before leaving. He went into the kitchen and thanked Elena for the meal before leaving. Caroline had asked for a lift home but Damon told her to share a cab with Sarah before he marched out. Sarah hadn't taken her eyes off of Stefan, who had his face in his hands. Damon was right, now that he'd been invited in it was going to make it harder for Stefan to protect Elena. Not just from Damon, but from Sarah too and Stefan knew this. True Sarah had nothing against Elena, but she detested Katherine and there was no telling when she might just rip off Elena's head in an attempt to get some closure.

Not long after that Stefan and Sarah left, they dropped of Caroline before heading home.

When they got in Damon wasn't there. Sarah knew Stefan was worried but he didn't say anything. He just went up to his room. Sarah could hear him writing in his journal and a short while later she walked into his bedroom. When she entered, Stefan had finished writing in his journal and was now holding a necklace in his hands.

"What's your plan then?" Sarah asked as she walked up to her brother, who immediately put the necklace away in his pocket.

"Can I trust you?" Stefan asked, locking eyes with Sarah.

"Of course you can," Sarah said, insulted that he even had to ask. Her answer didn't seem good enough for Stefan as he continued to stare at his sister, contemplating whether he could trust her or not.

"I need you to keep an eye on Elena tomorrow night, I'm going to be busy," Stefan said, but he was holding something back from her.

"Is there anything else I should know?" Sarah asked, her eyes narrowing as she stared at her brother. He hesitated and then walked out of the room, pulling the necklace from his pocket as he left. Sarah waited for him to leave and then walked over to the bookshelf were Stefan stored his journal. He really needed to find a new hiding place for his personal thoughts. She took out his current journal and then flicked to his most recent entry.

 _There must be a shred of humanity left inside my brother. Somewhere. I keep hoping but how do I make him see it? And how do I protect her? I want to ask Sarah to help me. But I don't know if I can trust her after she tried to make me feed on blood. I know she wants to bring me and Damon back together. But I can't shake the feeling she's got an ulterior motive._

Sarah read through the entry and then closed the book. It hurt her that Stefan thought she wanted anything more than to bring their family back together. That she would manipulate her brothers like Katherine had for her own selfish gain. Her grip tightened around Stefan's journal as anger filled her. It took her a minute to get control of herself, she could feel her face changing into her vampire form. Once she got a grip, her face relaxed and returned to normal. After that she put the journal back and went to her bedroom to get some sleep.

The next day was quite for the most part as Stefan and everyone else got ready for the high school football game. Sarah hadn't done much other than go out for a snack around mid day, otherwise she'd been at the boarding house all day waiting for Stefan to return from school. When he did, she waited until it was time to go to the football game.

"Come on," Stefan said as he headed for the front door, dressed in his football jersey.

"Wait," Sarah said, stepping out of the living room and into the hallway.

"What is it?" Stefan asked as he turned to face his sister. She looked down shyly before looking back up into her brother's eyes. She hesitated in answering but then spoke.

"I want you to know. I don't have any side agenda like Damon, all I want is to bring us all back together," Sarah said, as she talked Stefan sighed.

"You read my diary didn't you," Stefan said, annoyance in his voice.

"Yes. But Stefan, it's the truth. That's all I want," Sarah pressed, trying to get him to see she was telling the truth.

"Then why try and feed me blood?" Stefan asked harshly.

"You know why. Stefan you have to drink human blood so that you can get control off-"

"I don't need to get control of it because I'm never drinking human blood again," Stefan snapped. "Now come on, we're going to be late," Stefan said as he turned and walked out.

"I'm just trying to help Stefan," Sarah said as she followed him out the front door.

"The only thing I need your help with is protecting Elena," Stefan said turning to her again, now outside in the driveway. "I don't need you to be messing with my diet, I don't need you to look out for me. I just need you to stop Damon from hurting Elena. Can you do that?"

"Yes," Sarah answered as Stefan looked into her eyes. He seemed to believe her but she couldn't have been a hundred precent sure. He didn't say anything more after that. Not until they got to the football game.

When they arrived a crowd had already formed around a small bonfire with a mascot hanging above the flames. Sarah presumed it was the other team's but otherwise didn't pay it much attention as Stefan led her through the parking lot. It didn't take them long to find Elena, who greeted them warmly upon seeing them.

"Look at you. You look hot in a your jersey," Elena said as she cosied up to Stefan. It seemed like she hadn't noticed Sarah at first but when she did, Elena stepped back from Stefan. "Hey Sarah, what are you doing here?" Elena asked as she smiled at Sarah, the question wasn't at all harsh or rude. It was just friendly. For once Sarah actually didn't feel like killing Elena, she didn't see Katherine, she saw the teenage girl her brother was falling in love with. She could see why now.

"I brought her," Stefan quickly jumped in to answer. "Since she's interested in coming to school I figured what better place to give her an idea of what it's like than a football game," Stefan said with a smile as Elena looked to him, then back to Sarah.

"Well, I don't know if that's true but I'm sure you'll have a good time," Elena said.

"Actually I was hoping you could stay with her," Stefan said sheepishly. "It's just, she doesn't know anyone other than you and Caroline. So if you don't mind." Elena looked to Sarah for her say on the matter, and although it irritated her, she played all along.

"I really would appreciate it, Elena," Sarah said, pretending to be shy.

"Sure. I'd be happy to," Elena said as she took Sarah's hand and pulled her over towards her. "But you owe me," Elena joked with a finger point at Stefan.

"How about I pay you back with this?" Stefan asked as he pulled out a small box to reveal the necklace Sarah had seen him with the day before. But just from looking at it she knew something was different.

"It's beautiful. Is that rose I smell?" Elena asked as she took the necklace out of the box. Then Sarah realised what was different about the necklace. Stefan had filled it with vervain. With the necklace on her, Elena wouldn't be able to be compelled and no Vampire would be able to touch it without getting burned. _Well played Stefan._ Sarah thought with a smile as she watched Elena look over the necklace.

"No, it's uh...It's an herb. It's nice, huh?" Stefan said.

"I love it," Elena said.

"Here, let me help you put it on," Sarah said as she got behind Elena and took the end of the necklace, careful not to touch the centre that stored the vervain. Elena held her hair up as Sarah did the necklace and when she was done she thanked her.

"Thank you, Stefan," Elena said as she held the necklace around her neck and smiled at him.

"No, thank you. The last thing I need is Sarah getting into trouble before she even starts school," Stefan joked and he and Elena laughed, Sarah just smiled. Stefan then left to meet up with the other football players and Caroline strode up to Elena and Sarah in powerful strides, a frown on her face.

"And you're not in uniform because?" Caroline demanded with her hands on her hips.

"Because I quite," Elena answered bluntly.

"What?" Caroline exclaimed in shock.

"You were right. I'm not cut out to be a cheerleader anymore," Elena said.

"Great, now what am I going to do," Caroline grumbled as she stormed off. Elena and Sarah sharing a laugh as they watched the blonde teen walk off in a huff.

"Come on, Mr Tanner's about to give his speech," Elena said as she led Sarah towards the football field.

"You sound so thrilled about it," Sarah said sarcastically as she followed.

"Once you hear him speak, you'll see why," Elena said with a smirk.

After the football speech Elena said she had to go and get something from her car. Sarah offered to go with her but Elena said she'd be fine and that she'd be back in a few. Of course since Stefan had asked Sarah to protect Elena she followed her to the car, keeping out of sight. When she spotted Damon appear behind Elena she was about to tackle him but then stopped herself when she saw that Elena had turned around. She couldn't attack Damon in front of Elena, but for the time being it didn't look like she had to. So she stood and watched from the shadow of the nearby building, listing to them talk and waiting in case she needed to act. For a moment they two talked about Damon and Caroline but then the conversation began to shift to another topic.

"I don't see it going anywhere in the bigger picture. I think she'd drive me crazy," Damon said, in reference to Caroline.

"Caroline does have some really annoying traits, but we've been friends since the first grade and that means something to me," Elena said sternly, clearly not liking what Damon was implying.

"Duly noted. I'm sorry if I make you uncomfortable. That's not my intention," Damon apologized.

"Yes it is. Otherwise you wouldn't put an alternate meaning behind everything you say," Elena said accusingly.

"You're right. I do have other intention, but so do you," Damon said with a smirk. Sarah smiled from the shadows. Leaning back against the wall of the building, she folded her armed and got ready to watch the show.

"Really?" Elena said questioningly with a glare at Damon.

"I see it in your eyes. You want me," Damon said confidently.

"Excuse me?" Elena said angrily.

"I get to you. You find yourself drawn to me. You think about me even when you don't want to think about me. I bet you even dreamed about me. And right now, you want to kiss me," Damon said staring into Elena's eyes. Elena was speechless. For a moment Sarah thought that somehow Damon had managed to compel Elena, especially when he leaned into kiss her and she did nothing to stop him. But then the sound of a slap penetrated the air and Sarah saw Damon's head move to the side. He'd just been slapped.

"What the hell? I don't know what game you're trying to play with Stefan, but I don't want to be a part of it. And I don't know what happened in the past, but let's get one thing straight. I am no Katherine," Elena stated angry, before grabbing her jacket from the boot of her car and storming off. Damon stood still, caressing his check as he watched Elena walk back towards the football field. He spun back around to the car though when he heard Sarah giggle, she was now sat on the boot of the car, a wide entertained smile on her face.

"Enjoy the show?" Damon asked, letting his hand fall to his side and putting on a smug smile for his sister. Sarah didn't buy it though, she knew he was hurting. At the very least his pride had been hurt a bit.

"I did," Sarah said, followed by another giggle.

"So you're with Stefan now?" Damon asked, stepping closer to Sarah.

"I'm not on anyone's side, Damon. I just want-"

"-To bring the family back together, blah, blah, blah, I've heard it all before," Damon said mockingly as he rolled his eyes and turned away from Sarah.

"Where are you going?" Sarah called after him. Damon didn't answer as he vanished in a blur. Sarah ran after him and quickly found him leaning against a wall, watching the football players leave the field so they could get ready. Sarah also spotted Stefan and Matt, the two were talking but before she could listen in Matt started to walk away. Stefan then turned to Damon as he began to clap.

"Isn't that nice? Stefan joins a team, makes a friend. It's all so, 'rah, rah, go team, yeah!'" Damon said mockingly, but Stefan didn't react.

"Not tonight. I'm done with you," Stefan said turning to walk away only to find Damon in front of him. It was then Sarah appeared at Stefan's side, he looked to her with worry.

"Relax, Elena's fine," Damon answered for her. "Nice trick by the way. Let me guess...vervain in the necklace?" Damon asked with a knowing grin. It wasn't exactly hard to figure out. Stefan stood ridged along with Sarah as they two listened to Damon continue. "I admit, I was a bit surprised. It's been a while since anyone could resist my compulsion. Where'd you get it?" Damon asked turning serious at the end.

"Does it matter?" Stefan asked calmly.

"Not really. I guess I could just seduce her the old-fashioned way. Or I could just eat her. Maybe Sarah could join in," Damon said eyeing his little sister with calculating eyes. He'd suffered a setback but he'd already come up with his next plan. Sarah hated how calculating a smart her brother could be at times, especially when she was working against him.

"No," Stefan said.

"No?" Damon repeated questioningly, turning his attention to Stefan.

"You're not going to hurt her, and neither is Sarah. Because deep down inside you, there is a part of you that feels for her, for me and Sarah," Stefan said.

"You're not a monster, Damon, no matter how hard you try. You still have humanity in you," Sarah said stepping up.

"Awe, look at you two, trying to save me. News flash. You can't," Damon said with a devilish smile at the two of them.

"Can't we? Well if that's the case then why not just kill us," Stefan said, squaring up to his brother.

"Where's the fun in that," Damon snapped back.

"Exactly, there is no fun in it. You've had over a life time to kill me and her," Stefan said motioning to Sarah.

"But you haven't. We're still alive and so are you. After 145 years," Sarah added.

"You promised me an eternity of suffering. And you did that because you loved Katherine, because you still love her. That's why you punish me and that's why you push Sarah away, because you know that there's a chance she could bring us back together. But you'd rather just go on hating us and torturing me. And that, my brother, is your humanity," Stefan said as the door behind Damon opened up and Mr Tanner stepped out.

"Salvatore! What the hell? We've got a game to play!" Mr Tanner shouted, clearly annoyed at Stefan's delay.

"If that's my humanity," Damon said leaning towards his siblings. "Then what's this?" Before either Stefan or Sarah could stop him Damon had his fangs buried in Tanner's neck and a second later he flung his dead body to the ground.

"No!" Stefan shouted, but it was too late.

"What the hell, Damon!" Sarah shouted with an angry glare at her brother. She understood feeding on humans but she only killed if she had too and Mr Tanner hadn't needed to die tonight.

"Now do you get it? I have no humanity," Damon said triumphantly as he raised his arms out to his side. "I can do whatever I want, to anyone, at any time and in any place. And you two can't do a thing about it," Damon said with an evil bloodied smile. Sarah didn't know why she did what she did. Maybe it was her morality showing up for its annual appearance, but she ran at Damon with her fangs baring and her eyes bloody. She never got a hit in though. Damon shoved her off into the wall the second she was close enough. When Sarah looked back up, Damon was gone. Stefan quickly ran to her side and helped her up.

"We have to go, before someone sees us," Stefan said frantically. Sarah nodded in agreement and the next thing she knew she and Stefan where stood in the parking lot. A few minutes later they heard the screams of Matt Donavan who discovered Tanner's lifeless body outside the changing rooms. Before Sarah knew what was happening the place was swarming with police and teenagers parents were arriving to take them home. Stefan made sure Elena was okay and that she got to her car before taking Sarah home.

Arriving home Sarah saw Damon's car parked out front but when they entered Stefan didn't go looking for him. He just went straight up to his room. Sarah followed slowly and then stood in the doorway while he wrote in his journal. She had a pretty good idea what he was writing down in it. It was a few minutes before Stefan finally addressed her, still scribbling down his thoughts in the journal when he did.

"What do you want, Sarah?" Stefan asked, his tone harsh as he continued to write. Instead of answering, Sarah just walked over to the desk Stefan was sat at and closed the journal. He still didn't look up, so she grabbed his chin and lifted up his head until his eyes were looking into hers.

"Just promise me… You won't give up on him," Sarah said. Stefan didn't give her an answer but Sarah didn't need one. Once she said her peace she left him alone and retreated to her own room. As she lay on her bed, she found her thoughts drifting back to the girl she'd met yesterday morning. Scarlett. She thought more about herself than Scarlett, like why she hadn't just bitten into her but instead had fed her. She never found her answer. She was asleep before she could reach a conclusion.


	4. Family Ties

Thanks for all the new favourites and follows you guys! I'll see what I can do, Charmedbycharmed, but it could take a while for Sarah to get used to Elena with Katherine's face... And thank you so much tablekorner! Hope this one keeps up the momentum for you.

* * *

 **Chapter 4: Family Ties**

* * *

Elena woke up startled when she heard a noise from down stairs. Deciding to investigate she threw off the covers and slide out of bed, heading for her door.

"Hello? Jeremy? Jenna?" Elena said as she stepped out into the hallway. She looked over the railing and down into the hallway but didn't see anything. That was until a shadow moved by. Cautiously Elena moved down the stairs, eyes looking all around her as she moved towards the living room. No one was there, but the TV then suddenly turned on. It was a news broadcast. Elena watched as the presenter explained how the wild animal terrorizing Mystic Falls had claimed another victim.

"Local high school student, Elena Gilbert," the presenter said as a picture of Elena appeared on the screen. She gasped and stumbled backwards.

"You know what's coming next," came Damon's voice from behind her, but when Elena turned around Damon was nowhere in sight. She continued to look around her until she spotted him standing in the archway that led to the kitchen. Elena turned and ran for the front door, Damon following at a walking pace. Elena reached the door and flung it open only to find Sarah standing on the other side.

"Hello, Elena. Ready for dinner?" Sarah said with a sadistic smile. Elena turned to run, slamming the door behind her but Sarah caught it with her hand and forced it open. As for Elena, she made it two steps before bumping into Damon. He smiled down at her, holding her hands so she couldn't escape. Elena struggled to break free but Damon had a steel like grip on her. She then jumped when she felt her hair pulled to the side, exposing her neck. A second later Sarah dug into Elena's fleshy neck with her fangs. Elena screamed in agony and then Stefan woke up.

He shot up in bed into a sitting up position. His breathing heavy as he locked eyes on Damon who was sat at his desk. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Sarah sat in another chair, reading a book but his primary focus was Damon.

"Do you know how easy it was to get into you head just now?" Damon asked, looking over his shoulder to Stefan.

"You know he wouldn't be able to do that if you drank human blood," Sarah chimed in from the side. She looked away from her book and over to Stefan who shot her a glare, while still breathing heavily. "Just saying," Sarah finished before looking back to her book.

"If he did have some blood then it might even the playing field. Football reference. Too soon?" Damon asked. That was enough to push Stefan. He shot up from his bed and was across the room in a second. He grabbed hold of a knife on the table and threw it across and into Damon's chest. It didn't even phase him.

"Alright, I deserved that," Damon said pulling the knife from his chest, the wound quickly healing. "Now for the reason I called you both here."

"You didn't call either of us. I came up here to read and you woke Stefan up," Sarah muttered. Damon looked over to her a flashed his usual charming smile which he used whenever someone questioned him.

"Whatever. The point is, they caught the culprit." That caught both Stefan and Sarah's attention. "The animal responsible for killing coach Tanner and all those people," Damon elaborated.

"What are you talking about?" Stefan asked as Sarah closed her book from behind Damon, now completely focused on the conversation.

"It was a mountain lion. Really big one. It attacked a hunter this morning. It's all over the news. Deadly beast captured. All's well in Mystic Falls," Damon explained with storytelling style at the end.

"Why are you covering your tracks now?" Stefan asked curiously.

"Well, it saves Sarah from having to do it," Damon said, flashing his sister a smile.

"Thanks," Sarah said, clearly not meaning it.

"You're welcome. But also because I've decided to stay here a little longer. I mean, how could I leave you two, and Elena?"

"Can't touch her now," Stefan said, satisfied that the vervain was enough to stop him from messing with Elena.

"Well, the vervain keeps me out of her head. Maybe that's not my target. Believe it or not, Stefan, some girls don't need my persuasion. Some girls just can't resist my good looks, my style and my charm. Like Sarah," Damon said waving over towards her.

"You're an ass," Sarah muttered as she put the book in her hand back in the bookshelf. When she turned back to her brothers, she saw Damon stab Stefan with the knife Stefan had previously stabbed him with.

"You're not wrong," Damon said turning towards her as Stefan dropped to his knees, clutching at his wound. "See you two, later," he said before then leaving the room. Once he was gone Sarah approached her wounded brother, who was pulling the knife from his chest. They both watched as the wound healed over, but it took longer that it had for Damon.

"You need some blood," Sarah said bluntly.

"I'm fine," Stefan said stubbornly as he got up to his feet. After that he'd asked Sarah to leave so that he could write in his journal in peace. She kept herself busy until she noticed Stefan leaving, he didn't say where he was going.

After that she didn't see either of her brothers for the next few hours. She made herself comfy in the living room on one of the couches, reading a book with a bowl of grapples sitting in between her legs. She wondered if this is what gods and goddess felt like back in roman times. Her thoughts then shattered once Damon walked in, rather loudly slamming the door behind him. She looked over her shoulder towards him and upon seeing his smug grin, she returned to reading her book.

"What ya reading?" Damon asked, snatching the book from her grasp.

"Little Women," Sarah answered with a irritated sigh.

"Mmm, kinky," Damon chuckled and Sarah rolled her eyes.

"Original," Sarah replied before Damon threw the book back over to her. She caught it in one hand and then opened it back up to the page she had been reading before Damon interrupted her. "So what have you been up too?" Sarah asked as she grabbed a few grapes from her bowl and threw them in her mouth.

"The usual scheming," Damon answered vaguely as he looked down at the coffee table. He spotted the folder that held Stefan's homework and opened it up before sitting down on the couch opposite Sarah. He flicked through it until Zach walked into the room, almost startled at the sight of the two vampires.

"I didn't know you were here," Zach said apologetically.

"Just going through Stefan's homework, and Sarah here-"

"Don't even say it Damon," Sarah said before Damon could finish his sentence.

"Why? You at a good bit?" Damon asked teasingly with a raise of his eyebrows. Sarah, fed up with her brother's running commentary, picked up a handful of grapes and threw them across at him. They hit him, but he wasn't fazed by them. In fact he picked one up and eat it, before he looked over to Zach. "Go ahead, purge. Get it out. What's on your mind?" Damon asked as he and Sarah looked over to Zach.

"Why are you here, Damon?" Zach asked bravely.

"To spend time with you, Zach," Damon said putting down Stefan's homework.

"You don't spend time with your own siblings, never mind you're great nephew," Sarah muttered as she turned the page of her book.

"Family's important, Sarah," Damon said as he got up off the couch.

"I didn't know you still knew that word, Damon," Sarah said, glancing up at her brother before looking back down to her book. She could see him scowling out the corner of her eye and then he slapped the book out of her hands. "Real mature, Damon," Sarah groaned as she shot Damon a glare and bent over to pick up her book.

"What's you motive, you always have one. So tell me, what is it this time?" Zach asked boldly. Sarah had been bent over the side of the couch picking up her book when Zach had asked his question. By the time she was sat back up, Damon had Zach by the throat and was clearly choking him.

"I didn't mean to upset you," Zach croaked as his face began to turn red.

"This is not upset, Zach," Damon said with a smile.

"Let him go, Damon," Sarah said nonchalantly as she reopened her book, not lifting a finger to help Zach.

"You don't tell me what to do," Damon said, looking back over to Sarah while he continued to strangle Zach.

"What's going on?" Stefan asked as he walked in. When Damon saw his young brother enter he let go of Zach who dropped to his knees, gasping for air.

"Just having a family moment, Stefan," Damon said as he sauntered past his brother and out the room.

"Are you ok?" Stefan asked as he helped Zach up.

"No. I'm not alright. And neither are you. How many more people have to die before you see that?" Zach demanded angrily.

"Maybe six or seven, but who knows," Sarah muttered humorously from the couch.

"Why didn't you stop him?" Stefan demanded, turning on Sarah with a scowl.

"I'm not responsible for what he does, Stefan. Plus it was Zach, he wasn't going to kill him," Sarah scoffed, blowing off Damon's attack on Zach like it was an everyday occurrence.

"Get out!" Stefan shouted angrily, pointing towards the door with his finger.

"Fine," Sarah groaned with a roll of the eyes before closing her book and running out in a blur like motion. She ran up to Stefan's room, one place where she thought she'd be left along in peace. She was for the most part until Stefan came in and started to get changed in front of her. It was nothing new to her. After a century and half, she'd seen both her brothers naked so often that she was no longer fazed by it. She continued on with her reading like he wasn't even there and he did the same. He had changed into black trousers and a white vest, and was polishing his shoes, when Damon walked in. He was also half dressed and walked over to Stefan's wardrobe before pulling out a handful of ties.

"Do they still wear ties at this thing?" Damon asked as he moved in front of Stefan's mirror and began looking for a tie to wear.

"Why are you even going?" Stefan asked eyeing Damon from where he was sat.

"We're all going," Damon said looking around to Stefan and Sarah who was sat over in the corner, still reading her book.

"Excuse me. Do you mean 'we' as in me?" Sarah asked looking up from her book to a grinning Damon.

"Of course. We were all at the very first one, remember?" Damon said with a duh face as she turned back to the mirror. Sarah closed her book and got up, leaving the book on her chair as she walked over to Stefan's side. As she did, she saw Stefan have drink of alcohol. "My goodness, I've driven you to drink," Damon said in fake astonishment.

"It wouldn't be the first time," Sarah muttered and Stefan shot her a look. She ignored him.

"What do you think?" Damon asked, holding up a tie in the mirror and awaiting his siblings approval.

"Doesn't go with your eyes," Sarah mocked with a thin smile.

"At least it'd get me in the door. Go and get changed," Damon ordered.

"You just assume I'm going to go," Sarah said with a chuckle.

"No. I assume you're not going to miss a chance to mess with Stefan," Damon said with a wink to his sister. She looked over to her other brother and he let out a low sigh. Realising that Damon was right, Sarah decided she would go, just to annoy Stefan.

"Alright, fine," Sarah said before she exited Stefan's bedroom only to return a few minutes later in a light green low cut dress. As she entered the room, she did a little twirl and Damon let out a low whistle.

"Looking stunning as always, Sarah," Damon said with a bow.

"Thank you, Damon," Sarah said modestly as Damon took her hand and kissed it. While the two laughed Stefan remained seated and watched the two carefully. He was still wearing the same cloths but Damon had put on a black collar shirt and was in the process of putting on his matching jacket.

"How about a drink?" Stefan asked, pouring his siblings a pair of drinks.

"Not a bad idea Stefan," said Damon as his brother handed him and Sarah their drinks. They each went to drink and Stefan watched tensely. After one sniff of the drink, Sarah knew why he was watching them so carefully. Damon began over tipping the glass, the drink missing his mouth and pouring onto the floor, while Sarah just threw hers across the room, her glass smashing against the wall and exploding into a hundred shards. Stefan had to look away when Sarah shot him an outrageous glare. Damon wasn't as mad, he just put on a charming smile and stepped forwards. "I admire your effort, Stefan. Pouring yourself a drink then spiking the bottle with vervain. But me and Sarah or not a pair of drunk sororities. You can't roofie us that easily. But I can't help but feel a little used. I thought we were having a nice family moment. Now I have to go to the party angry. Who knows what I'll do?" Damon said as he left the room. But Sarah remained, her angry trembling eyes locked on Stefan who avoided her gaze. There was a moment of silence before she spoke up to her brother.

"I understand doing that to him. But I thought we were getting along after last night," Sarah said angrily as Stefan continued to look away. "Just so you know, I trusted you. I didn't care that you didn't trust me. But now, I'm with Damon. I don't know what's going to happen tonight, but whatever does. It's on you," Sarah said before marching out the room, trying hard not to let tears form in her eyes. It had been a long time since she'd been hurt this hard, especially by her family, by Stefan. Damon she expected this from but from Stefan! It hurt more than she would ever care to admit.

Once Sarah had stormed down the stairs, Damon had giving her a non spiked drink and after that they had picked up Caroline. Apparently Damon had compelled her into getting him invited and with a little tweak she was more than happy to bring Sarah along with them. Damon had driven, while Caroline complement Sarah on how she looked. Sarah had thanked her and offered her a few comments on her hair and dress that Caroline loved. She didn't even have time to complement Damon as they arrived at the party before she could.

Caroline lead them through the line, though Sarah wanted to just compel her way in. Damon had stopped her though, stating the obvious that they'd get caught. So reluctantly Sarah had stood in the line with Damon and Caroline while slowly they were invited inside the Lockwood home. Admittedly it didn't take that long to reach the end of the line but Sarah still hated that fact that she had to wait like all the mortals.

"Caroline! You look smashing," greeted an older woman when they reached the doorway to the house. Sarah assumed rightly that this was Mrs Lockwood, one of the owners of the house. Or at least Sarah hoped she was, otherwise it would make things harder for her and Damon to get in.

"Thank you, Mrs Lockwood. This is my boyfriend Damon, and his sister Sarah," Caroline said, introducing her two companions.

"Oh, well, come on in," Mrs Lockwood said, waving a hand for them to come in.

"Lovely to meet you. I've been looking forwards to this party for quite a while," Damon said as he, Sarah and Caroline stepped in through the door and into the house.

"Well, enjoy," Mrs Lockwood said, before walking off.

"Let's drink," Damon said with a grin to Caroline.

"Good idea," Sarah said, storming off ahead to the bar while Damon and Caroline lingered behind. As she made her way over to the bar she saw a light brown haired woman arguing with a dark haired man. She ordered a drink and asked the bar tender to surprise her when the light brown head appeared beside her, letting out a heavy sigh.

"Everything alright?" Sarah asked, making ideal chatter while she waited for her drink.

"Nope. My jackass of an ex-boyfriend just tried to ask me out again," the woman groaned, brushing a strand of her hair aside as she looked over to Sarah. "Sorry. I'm being rude. I'm Jenna, Jenna Sommers," Jenna said as she held out her hand.

"Sarah, Salvatore," Sarah said shaking Jenna's hand.

"Oh, as in Stefan's younger sister?" Jenna said with surprise on her face.

"Yeah, how do you know him?"

"He's dating my niece," Jenna said with a thin smile.

"Oh, you're Elena's aunt," Sarah said, another name and face she'd have to remember.

"And guardian," Jenna added as the bar tender returned with two glasses of wine. He handed one off to Sarah before offering Jenna the other one. She took it and thanked him before chugging it down, very unlady like.

"Thirsty?" Sarah asked jokingly and Jenna smirked.

"Trying to forget about that ex I told you about," Jenna answered.

"Well if it's any constellation, he made the biggest mistake by dumping you," Sarah said raising her glass.

"He didn't dump me. He slept with another woman while we were dating," Jenna explained before Sarah could drink.

"Oh. In that case, make him suffer," Sarah said with a grin as she drank her wine. Jenna just laughed. Over the laughing woman's shoulder, Sarah spotted Damon standing and waving her over. "Excuse me," Sarah said with a smile and Jenna nodded, excusing her as she ordered another drink. Damon didn't say anything, only lead Sarah and Caroline up the stair and into a room where Stefan and Elena were already stood. Sarah only caught the end of what Elena was saying, but it was enough to let her know what she was reading.

"...Mayor Benjamin Lockwood. Is that Damon Salvator? And, Stefan...and Sarah Salvatore?" Elena asked in shock as he eyes widened.

"The original Salvatore siblings. Our ancestors. Tragic story, actually," Damon said as he, Sarah and Caroline approached Elena and Stefan and the parchment that was behind a glass frame. After a look over Sarah recognised it as the registry for the first Founders Party, the very one that she and her brothers had attended.

"We don't need to bore them with stories of the past," Stefan said as she turned to Damon.

"It's not boring, Stefan. I'd love to hear more about your family," Elena jumped in.

"Well, I'm bored. I want to dance. And Damon won't dance with me. Could I just borrow your date?" Caroline asked Elena who was caught off guard by the question.

"Oh, uh..." Elena stammered.

"I don't really dance," Stefan said.

"Oh, sure he does. You should see him. Waltz, the jitterbug, the moonwalk. He does it all, right Sarah," Damon said, trying to get Sarah in on Stefan's suffering.

"Yeah," Sarah muttered. Her eyes hadn't left Stefan as she scowled at him. She was still mad at him for what he had tried to do, but he had apparently only just noticed her glare.

"You won't mind, would you, Elena?" Caroline asked, practically begging.

"It's up to Stefan," Elena said looking to her date.

"Well sorry, but I'm not going to take 'no' for an answer," Caroline said as she took Stefan's hand and began to drag him away. He locked eyes with Damon, warning him not to try anything. Then his eyes moved to Sarah, he was going to ask her to watch out for Elena but when he saw her cold hard glare he decided not to push his luck as Caroline removed him from the room.

"I want to apologize to you for being such a world-class jerk the other night when I tried to kiss you. There's no excuse. My therapist says I'm... Acting out, trying to punish Stefan," Damon said and Elena' eyes darted over to Sarah as blush hit her face. "Oh, don't worry about her. She knows all my dirty little secrets," Damon said with a smirk as he looked over to Sarah who only glared back. As it turned out, she wasn't in much of a mood to make Stefan's live harder. She just wanted him to apologize to her.

"So why are you trying to punish Stefan?" Elena asked with a frown to Damon.

"It's all in the past. I don't even want to bring it up. Let's just say that the men in the Salvatore family have been cursed with sibling rivalry. And it all started with the original Salvatore brothers. And it falls to the Salvatore woman to try and bring them back together," Damon said as he looked over to Sarah with Elena. Sarah just looked away and folded her arms, she didn't like were Damon was going with this.

"The Salvatore name was practically royalty in this town. Until the war. There was a battle here-" Damon continued on, getting Elena's attention back on him and off the mopping Sarah.

"The battle of Willow Creek," Elena cut in. "We talked about it in class. Confederate soldiers fired on a church with civilians inside," Elena said and explained what she had learned in her history class.

"What the history books left out was the people that were killed. They weren't there by accident. They were believed to be union sympathizers. So some of the founders on the confederacy side back then wanted them round up and burned alive. Stefan, Sarah and Damon had someone they loved very much in that church. And when they went to rescue them, they were shot. Murdered in cold blood," Damon said as he told the story, Sarah listening just as much as Elena. But Sarah cringed when Damon used the word 'love'. As far as she was concerned, that wasn't true for her, she hated Katherine.

"Who was in the church that they wanted to save?" Elena asked curiously.

"Who knows?" Damon said with a knowing look in his eye. Sarah wanted so badly to tell him to shut up and to start fighting him, but she couldn't, not with Elena around. Once they talked a little more about the other items in the room, Damon escorted Elena and Sarah down the stairs and outside to were Stefan and Caroline where stood. "What we miss?" Damon asked as he approached his brother.

"We were just chatting. Drink, Damon?" Stefan asked handing his brother a drink. Sarah and Damon eyed the glass before looking to Stefan who had a smile on his face.

"No thanks, I'll pass," Damon said as he sat the glass aside. "What about you, Sarah."

"I'm good," She mumbled before looking away, not letting anyone see the hurt.

"Are you ok?" Elena asked putting a hand on Sarah's shoulder.

"Yeah, just...I've got a headache," Sarah said as she rubbed the side of her head.

"Probably just needs something to eat," Damon said and Stefan shot him a glare.

"I'm fine, Damon," Sarah insisted. "Really, I'm good," Sarah repeated when she saw Elena still looking at her in concern.

"Okay," Elena said backing off and then turning to Stefan. "Stefan, do you have another dance in you?"

"Absolutely," Stefan said as he took Elena's hand and let her lead him towards the dance floor.

"They look so cute together," Caroline said as she, Damon and Sarah watched the couple dance. Admittedly, Sarah had to agree. She'd never see Stefan so happy as

he danced around with Elena, a constant smile on his face. She just hated that she had to look like Katherine.

"Don't talk, please," Damon ordered harshly.

"Stop being an ass, Damon," Sarah said as she turned to him.

"You can be quite too," Damon ordered, but unlike Caroline, Sarah couldn't be compelled. The three stood in silence and watched Stefan and Elena dance, until they broke off and started to argue. After few seconds Elena then stormed off, leaving Stefan on the dance floor. He then looked over to Sarah and Damon and the two glared back at him. Caroline had wondered off and after a moment Sarah left too, leaving her brothers to their staring match.

Sarah headed back into the house and found Jenna leaning against the wall, running her hands down her face. Sarah approached slowly and when she put her hand on Jenna's shoulder the woman slapped it away.

"I swear to god if you-Oh! Sorry, Sarah," Jenna said embarrassingly.

"It's alright. Let me guess, you're ex bugging you again?" Sarah asked with a sympathetic smile. Jenna chuckled and then nodded.

"Unfortunately," Jenna said before looking to Sarah and noticing her upset demeanour.

"Is everything alright with you?" Jenna asked, slight concern in her voice.

"Yeah, I'm just mad at Stefan is all," Sarah said with a shake of the head.

"What'd he do?" Jenna asked.

"He...he pulled a prank on me," Sarah said, looking at the ground shamefully. She felt like child in that moment, her lie was so bad, but to Jenna she was a child and she believed what she told her.

"Have you tried talking to him? Maybe he's sorry about it," Jenna said optimistically.

"I don't know. He's barley talking to me," Sarah explained as she rubbed her arm. Jenna then gripped her arm reassuringly and Sarah looked over to Jenna who smiled back at her.

"I may not be great at the parent thing. But I really think you should talk to Stefan. It sounds like that would fix your problem," Jenna said in a mother like tone.

"Thank you," Sarah said before smiling at Jenna. "Elena's lucky to have you."

"I wish I could believe that," Jenna said with a light laugh before walking off. Sarah then went her own way and tried to find Stefan, she searched the whole house and the party outside but she couldn't find him. What she did find however was Damon, trekking across the lawn with Caroline in his grasp. He would have vanished in the darkness but thanks to Sarah's heightened sight she could see him across the lawn. She watched them stop and then Caroline started to talk. Once she stopped Damon appeared to sigh and then moved behind Caroline. Sarah had an idea of what he was about to do and raced over in a blur. She came to a stop in front of Caroline and Damon looked up from behind her and over to his sister.

"Sarah, do you mind? Me and Caroline are having a privet moment."

"H-he-hel-help...me," Caroline said, her voice terrified. She knew very well what Damon was going to do to her and her only hope was Sarah.

"Shh, shh, shh. It's okay," Damon said soothingly from behind her as he pulled her hair aside exposing the young woman's neck.

"What you say, Sarah...want to share?" Damon asked as his features changed and his fangs formed. Slowly he leaned forwards, stroking Caroline's neck with his fangs until he cut her. Sarah's eyes locked on the blood as it trailed down Caroline's neck over her collar bone before forming a stain on her beautiful dress. Sarah couldn't stop herself, her eyes became blood shot and black veins began to throb around her eyes. She hadn't realised how hungry she was but she hadn't had a meal all day. As her fangs formed, Sarah let out a hiss and dashed forwards. She flicked Caroline's hair aside before digging into her neck violently. Damon did the same from the other side and Caroline screamed out in pain. However, then the screaming stopped and all three dropped to the ground.

"What the hell?" Damon groaned as he looked over to Sarah who lay on the ground. She too was in immense pain, feeling her insides burn as she lay, unable to move or speak.

"I knew I couldn't spike you're drink. So I spiked hers," Stefan said as he approached his defeated siblings and Caroline. Sarah was only able to stave off the darkness for a few seconds as Stefan approached them.

"St...Stef...Stefan..." was all Sarah got out before her head dropped down to the ground and the world went dark. It was only in the darkness of her mind that she realised what had happened. Stefan had spiked Caroline with vervain so that when she and Damon drank from her they ingested vervain and then knocked themselves out. Only question now was, what was Stefan going to do with her and Damon?


	5. You're Undead to Me

_Thanks for all the new follows you guys and for all the reviews, I really appreciate them. Thank you so much!_

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 **Chapter 5: You're Undead to Me**

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Slowly Sarah began to come to. Her eyes fluttering as her vision cleared. She knew she was in her bed thanks to the familiar sheets and lighting as well as what she could make out through the blur. She didn't lift her head, rather roll it across the pillow until she spotted a figure sitting at the end of her bed. It took a while but once she saw the man's hair she knew it was her brother, Stefan.

She tried to say something but the words left her mouth in a grunt thanks to her dry throat. It may not have been recognisable, but it was enough to let Stefan know she was awake and could see him.

"Hey. Take it slow. Here, have a drink," Stefan said as he held out a glass of water. Sarah accepted the drink and had a gulp before Stefan sat the glass on her bedside table. Sarah let out a cough before sitting up in bed.

"How long have I been out?" Sarah asked, rubbing her head as she felt the pain of a light hangover.

"Three days," Stefan answered. "Sorry," he apologized when Sarah made eye contact with him. She scowled at him but had to stop when she felt a sharp pain in her head. She had a vague idea of what had happened. She remembered biting into Caroline with Damon and then passing out because of the vervain. That was what was probably causing her hangover.

"Where's Damon?" Sarah asked, eyeing her brother as she looked back up to him.

"He's in the basement," Stefan answered but Sarah stared at him, wanting more. "Alive," Stefan added and Sarah relaxed slightly. At least neither of her brothers were dead, some days that was a good enough victory for her.

"Why amn't I down there with him?" Sarah asked wearily, half expecting Stefan to throw her down in the basement just for asking. Stefan seemed to think about his answer for a moment, taking a long deep breath before answering.

"You were right to be mad at me. For trying to dose you with vervain. It was wrong of me. You trusted me and I betrayed that trust. I'm sorry," Stefan said sincerely which made Sarah smile on the inside, however on the outside she kept her hard stare.

"Thank you," Sarah said quietly.

"Damon was the one causing all the problems. You've done nothing but try to help me since you got here. So that's why you're not down there and he is," Stefan explained before leaning over towards her to continue, his look and tone now turning more serious. "But, Sarah, he can't be let out. I have to stop him, it can't go on. I took his ring and I've hidden it." As he said this Sarah looked to her hands to find her daylight ring was still on her finger. She let out a quite sigh of relief. "It's okay, I left yours."

"So what are you going to do with him?" Sarah asked, clear concern in her voice.

"I'm going to drain him off blood and leave him there until he desiccates. After that I'll move him to the family crypt and after fifty years or so we'll bring him out and see if he's better," Stefan said, laying out his plan for Sarah.

"Some might say that's cruel," Sarah said coldly, clearly not found of the idea.

"Same people would say he deserves worse after all he's done," Stefan countered.

"He's our brother, Stefan."

"I agree. And as such it's our responsibility to keep him in check. If you have any other ideas then please tell me," Stefan said coldly. He waited for Sarah to say something but she went silent and looked down at her legs that were hidden under her bed sheets. Truth was she couldn't come up with a better plan and she also knew Stefan was right about them being responsible for Damon. "I know it's hard. But it's for the best," Stefan said leaning back over and taking Sarah's hand in his own. She reluctantly nodded in agreement. She knew he was right, but that didn't mean she had to like it.

"So what do you want me to do?" Sarah asked retuning her gaze to Stefan who shrugged.

"Whatever you want. Live your life. You can leave or you can stay, I don't mind. As long as you don't cause major trouble then I'm happy to live with you," Stefan said with a friendly smile. Sarah smiled back, she knew there was no threat in his words. He just wanted her to be happy like he was, despite what was happening to Damon. "You could even come to school with me," Stefan suggested and Sarah eyes widened slightly.

"Really?"

"If it's what you want. We can get you started today," Stefan said eagerly before Sarah reached over and pulled her brother into a hug.

"Thank you. Thank you for trusting me," Sarah said before breaking away from him.

After that Stefan had left while Sarah got dressed, only to then return with a backpack for her along with his own on his shoulder. She humbly took it, slinging it over her shoulder like he had before following him down stairs where they met Zach in the hallway.

"You're taking her to school?" Zach asked a little more harshly than he probably meant when he saw Sarah with the backpack. She looked down shamefully, remembering how she had let Damon threaten him last time without even lifting a finger to help him. She couldn't blame him for being mad at her, and he was still family so she cared about him.

"It's alright, Zach. I'll be with her the whole time." Stefan said before looking to Sarah with a smile. "I'll make sure she stays out of trouble." At that Sarah smiled, she even saw Zach smile at her which only made her smile more.

"What about Damon then?" Zach continued, eyes still on Sarah.

"He's awake, last I checked, but weak. You should probably stay out of the basement just to be safe thought. He's Damon after all, no telling how dangerous he still is," Stefan said.

"If you think there's a problem then call us," Sarah jumped in.

"Will do. Now don't let me keep you, you've already missed enough school," Zach said waving them towards the door as he headed for the kitchen. The two vampires waved goodbye and they headed out the front door.

"So what's been happening with you and Elena. Did I miss any big miles stones in the relationship?" Sarah asked nosily as they walked down the driveway towards school.

"No, you haven't. I'm not even sure if she's still talking to me actually," Stefan said solemnly which caused Sarah to frown.

"Why, what happened?"

"At the Founders Party...we kind of got into a fight," Stefan said sheepishly.

"About what?" Sarah asked and Stefan sighed.

"She found the bite marks Damon left on Caroline's neck and then found out that I already knew about it. I told her I'd handle it, which I have, but there's no telling what I'm walking back to," Stefan explained. They continued on for a bit in silence as Sarah pondered what Stefan had told her, then she spoke up.

"Are you thinking of telling her?"

"I don't know. I just don't want to lie to her anymore," Stefan confessed and Sarah smiled back at him.

"Sounds like you want to tell her the truth," Stefan smiled back at her, shaking his head.

"How about we deal with your first day of school first, and worry about my love life tomorrow?" Stefan asked with a cocked eyebrow.

"Sounds like a plan," Sarah said with a grin back to Stefan, starting to feel more like her old self again.

Once the two arrived at school, Stefan took Sarah to the school office to get her set up. He offered to do the compulsion for her but Sarah did it fine herself and as quick as snapping her fingers she had been enrolled at Mystic Falls High.

They had time to kill until class so Stefan went over to speak to Elena and Sarah followed, holding her new books in her hands as they went.

"Hey," Stefan said as he approached Elena and Bonnie, Sarah lurking beside him.

"Hey. You know, I got to... Be somewhere right now," Bonnie stammered as she made up an excuse to leave. She walked away, mouthing 'hi' to Sarah as she passed her. Sarah smiled and nodded in thanks to Bonnie as she headed down the corridor. She hated to admit it, but she was feeling a tad nervous. She chopped it up to a side effect of the vervain and turned back to Elena and Stefan.

"I'm sorry I haven't called." Stefan apologised instantly.

"No worries. I'll live." Elena said, a tad harshly in Sarah's opinion. Then Elena looked to Sarah and smiled softly. "Hey, are you feeling better?" Elena asked with a sympathetic look.

"Excuse me?" Sarah asked with a frown, noticing that Stefan looked away when she spoke.

"Stefan told me you were sick. Something about an allergic reaction," Elena said looking to Stefan with a confused frown. Stefan continued to look away, presumably because he'd lied, so Sarah stepped in to save him.

"Oh, yes. Sorry. Head's still a bit sore after..." Sarah trailed off, not knowing what Stefan had said to Elena. Elena picked up on this and frowned at Stefan with irritation.

"What really happened?" Elena asked, almost demanding an answer. Stefan looked to Sarah then back to Elena before sighing.

"The truth is, she was helping me deal with Damon," Stefan lied, but Elena bought it.

"And did you? Deal with Damon?"

"Yes."

"And it took you three days?" Elena said with another questioning frown and a clearly angry tone.

"You have every right to be upset with me. But can I explain it all to you? Please," Stefan said. Sarah remained quite from beside her brother while Elena stared into his eyes, trying to make up her mind.

"Sure, when?" she finally answered with a sigh.

"I've gotta be home after school, but the Grill. Around four o'clock?" Stefan asked.

"Okay."

"And would it be okay if Sarah went with you?" Stefan asked sheepishly, very aware that he was pushing his luck with Elena. Elena went to sigh but then looked to Sarah and smiled.

"Sure. It would be nice to spend some quality time with your good sibling," Elena said as she approached Sarah who smiled back. If only what Elena said was true. In her eyes she was much nicer than Damon, but that didn't make her good by any means. Especially after some of the stuff she'd done over her life time.

"Thanks," Stefan said with a relieved smile. Sarah wasn't sure why Stefan wanted her to go with Elena but she assumed he didn't want her going near Damon. He knew that he'd be able to manipulate her into setting him free. She knew it herself, her weakness was her family.

"Stefan, Sarah, where's Damon? He has some serious apologizing to do," Caroline declared as she approached the three.

"He's gone, Caroline," Stefan said.

"When's he coming back?" Caroline asked, like a confused child.

"He's not coming back. I'm sorry." Caroline's face dropped and she looked to Sarah for confirmation. She only nodded, putting on a sympathetic smile for her.

"This is a good thing, Caroline," Elena said holding her friend closely.

"I know that," Caroline said as they parted, wiping away the potential tears from her eyes. "I mean, who has time to hear his grovelling apology anyway?" Caroline asked rhetorically with a forced laugh. The others just offered kind smiles, knowing she was having a hard time accepting this. "I'm far too busy with the car wash and-Oh! Sarah, do you want to help?" Caroline asked, getting excited as she smiled widely at Sarah who eyes widened in slight shock.

"Em...Well...I..." Sarah stammered, not entirely sure what to do. She looked to Stefan and Elena but it was too late. Caroline had wrapped her arm around Sarah's and was leading her away as the bell rang for class, explaining why Sarah had to come and complementing her on her body and face. Elena and Stefan smirked as they watched.

Sarah's first day of school went by fairly quickly for her, after which Elena and Sarah had headed over to the Grill to wait for Stefan to arrive. They sat down in a booth near the pool table and ordered some drinks. Sarah was sipping through her straw when she looked up and saw Elena spinning her straw around in her glass. From the frown on her face, Sarah assumed she was thinking of asking Sarah something but wasn't sure if she should or not.

"What is it?" Sarah asked once she'd finished her drink. Elena looked up to her, her frown gone, as she tried to pretend everything was fine.

"Sorry?" Elena asked, playing innocent.

"Come on, Elena. I told you if you wanted to know anything about my brothers you can just ask me," Sarah said with a friendly smile, Elena smiled back. "Now tell me what it is."

"What's he hiding from me?" Elena asked, Sarah's expression didn't chance though she did wait a minute before answering.

"I know it's frustrating. But he will tell you in time," Sarah answered as she began playing with her glass. "To be honest I'm surprised he hasn't told you already. He clearly likes you a lot," Sarah said looking back to Elena whose eyes were locked on Sarah, listening to her every word. "Just know this, Elena. Stefan isn't trying to hurt you, and I think no matter what he'll always be there for you. But this thing, it hurts him. He just doesn't want it to hurt you to," Sarah explained as she sat her glass down, looking down at the table as she thought about her family and their curse.

"Does it hurt you too?" Elena asked, picking up the fact that whatever it was centred around the Salvatore siblings.

"Sometimes. But Stefan is the one who suffers most," Sarah said before looking off into the distance. "Although I think being around you makes it easier for him," Sarah said with a grateful smile to Elena. She blushed and looked away before grinning at what she was looking at. Sarah looked over her shoulder in the direction Elena was looking and spotted Matt looking her way. The second they made eye contact, he broke it off and headed for the pool table.

"I think he has a thing for you," Elena said and Sarah looked back to say the teenage girl grinning at her.

"I don't know," Sarah muttered embarrassingly and Elena let out a quite gasp.

"You like him too!" Elena said in quiet excitement.

"Elena, I hardly know him," Sarah said quickly with a laugh.

"Didn't stop me and your brother," Elena said as she took a sip of her drink, still grinning. "Come on. I'll introduce you," Elena said, grabbing Sarah's hand and dragging her over towards the pool table. "Hey Matt, have you met Sarah yet?"

"Eh...Not officially. Hi, I'm Matt Donovan," Matt said holding out his free hand while his other held onto the pool cue.

"Sarah Salvatore," Sarah replied as she shakes his hand.

"Stefan's little sister right?"

"That's me."

"So where is he any way?" Matt asked, looking to Elena.

"He's meeting me here, you haven't seen him have you?" Elena asked hopefully.

"Nope. But if you want to kill some time we could play a game," Matt said as he gestures to the pool table. Elena gave an uncommitted shrug and then looked to Sarah who was still looking at Matt.

"I'm not really in the mood but I'm sure Sarah would love to," Elena said and Sarah looked over, a slight look of confusion across her face. Matt tilted the cue towards her with a farm boy grin and Sarah smiled back at him as she took it.

"Alright, Matt, let's see what you got," Sarah said as she took the cue. By the time she had finished chalking the tip of the cue Matt had the table set up. Sarah prepared her shot and hit the ball, knocking in two striped balls. Sarah looked over to Matt and smiled when she saw his slightly astonished face. "I should have put money on this," Sarah said as she walked by Matt, causing Elena to laugh as she watched from the side. Matt looked to her with a warning smile and then turned back to Sarah as she set up her next shot.

"Don't get cocky," he cautioned and Sarah looked at him while she took her shot. Without even looking she sunk another ball. Matt let his head drop and he let out an embarrassed laugh which Sarah and Elena joined in on.

Sarah and Matt were just finishing their second game when Stefan finally showed up.

"Hi. Sorry I'm late," Stefan apologized as he approached Elena.

"What happened?" Elena quickly asked before Sarah could.

"I got held up," Stefan answered.

"Is everything okay?" Sarah asked as she set her pool cue down on the table.

"Yeah, it was just something with, Zach," Stefan explained, giving Sarah a look that let her know he'd explain it in more detail later. She also caught the look that told her he wanted to talk to Elena alone.

"Okay. Uh, Matt, let's let these two have a game," Sarah said leading Matt away from the table and towards the booth she and Elena had previously occupied.

"That's good with me. I was getting tired of you kicking my ass," Matt said as he sat down opposite Sarah in the booth. She laughed at his joke but then realised she had nothing to say to him.

"So how was your first day of school then?" Matt asked as he played with the menu in his hands.

"It was alright, more quite than I thought it'd be," Sarah admitted with disappointment.

"Not much happens around here I'm afraid," answered Matt with a light laugh.

"What about the last few days? I heard some guy got murdered," Sarah spoke up. She knew exactly who'd been murdered, she'd seen it with her own eyes. She just wanted to get an idea for what the town knew.

"Eh...yeah...he was my coach," Matt said shakily. Sarah let out a horrified gasp, part of which was true. She had forgotten Matt was on the football team, she felt like a really jerk for bringing it up. But she took solace in the fact that the man responsible had been locked away, even if he was her brother.

"Sorry," Sarah apologized, reaching over and touching Matt's hand. He looked to her then down to her hand and Sarah pulled back, realising what she'd done. However Matt didn't seem discomforted by it and smiled back at Sarah who smiled back at him. She knew Matt was a good guy, but she couldn't help but think what would happen if she brought him into her world. It was just to dangerous for him. He was a good guy and didn't deserve to have his life ruined by vampires like her. All she had to do was look at Stefan to realise all the problems that came with vampires hanging around humans.

"I know you. How can it be?" the words of an old man broke Sarah from her thoughts as she and Matt looked over to Elena and Stefan who were talking to a very confused old man.

"I think you have the wrong person, sir," Stefan said calmly.

"You haven't aged a day," the old man muttered in amazement. At his words Sarah's eyes widened, she didn't recognise the man but he clearly recognised Stefan. And if he recognised her brother there was a fair chance he'd recognise her if he caught a glimpse of her. She turned back to Matt, catching Stefan pushing Elena towards the door in the corner of her eyes.

"What you think that's all about?" Matt asked as Elena and Stefan started to argue again.

"I try and stay out of my brother's problems," Sarah lied, trying to keep Matt's attention on her and not her brother.

"I wish I could do that with Vick sometimes," Matt said with a dry laugh.

"Your sister Vicki?" Sarah asked and Matt nodded as he looked down at the table.

"She just...never lets me help her."

"I know what you mean. Stefan was the same," Sarah said, careful with her words. She knew very well anything she said to Matt could get back to Elena. "I tried to help him but he just didn't listen."

"Stefan did drugs?" Matt asked in near shock.

"Once," Stefan said as he approached them a stern look on his face. He was either angry or irritated, Sarah could see it on his face even if Matt couldn't. Not surprising since the old man just made things with Elena all that much more complicated for him. "We have to go," Stefan said and Sarah nodded back to him.

"Thanks. For the pool and the chat," Sarah said as she got up, flashing Matt a smile.

"Anytime," Matt said, smiling back and waving as Sarah and Stefan exited the Grill.

"So what's the plan?" Sarah asked as she walked side by side with Stefan down the street.

"I'm going to go over to Elena's and cook her dinner, try and be a bit more open with her. Give her what she thinks she wants," Stefan explained.

"What you cooking?" Sarah asked and Stefan looked to her with a knowing smirk.

"You're not coming. You're going home," Stefan said as he looked away from his sister.

"Am I allowed to speak to Damon?" Her question caused Stefan to stop and look at her for a good minute or so before he answered.

"Sure. Just don't open the door and be careful."

"Aren't I always," Sarah joked but then stopped when she caught the seriousness in Stefan's eyes.

"I mean it, Sarah. I'm trusting you," Stefan said sternly.

"I know. I'll be careful," Sarah promised, matching Stefan's serious tone. "Good luck with Elena," she said before turning and walking off towards her home while Stefan headed for Elena's house.

Sarah ended up cutting through the woods so that she could use her vampire speed without being seen. She was home within a few minutes. She searched for Zach but he'd clearly gone out or retired for the night, either way she was alone.

She walked down the stairs to the cellar and approached the old wooden door with iron bars. Peering through the gap, Sarah saw Damon sat up against the back wall. He looked pale, paler than usual, pale even for a vampire. Sarah didn't need her vampire senses to know he was fading and soon he'd just be a shell, unable to move or do anything until someone fed him blood.

"If it isn't my favourite sister." Damon's voice startled Sarah but she didn't move. In truth she'd thought he'd been asleep or had passed out from the lack of blood. Damon's eyelids slowly lifted and he looked over with a force grin on his face, it was a struggle for him, Sarah could see that. "Here to bust me out?"

"Not this time, Damon," Sarah said as she crossed her arms. His grin dropped to a frown as he glared through the bars at his sister. He jumped up in a rage fuelled blur and went to grab Sarah's throat but Sarah was faster and caught his wrist before he could reach her throat. Damon let out a groan of pain, feeling Sarah tighten her grip.

"Nice try Damon. But without blood in your system, I'm stronger and faster," Sarah said sternly as she held onto Damon's wrist. She then let go and Damon pulled back dropping to the floor in the cellar. "For what it's worth I am sorry, Damon."

"Go to hell," Damon snapped from the floor. He rolled onto his back, looking up at Sarah through the bars before continuing. "You talk about bringing this family back together, about caring for one another. And then you pull a stunt like this. You're nothing but a liar, Sarah," Damon said coldly as his blue eyes stared into Sarah's green ones.

"I'll make sure Stefan remembers to wake you up," Sarah promised as she walked away, turning her back on Damon.

"Fat lot of good that does me now!" shouted Damon weakly from his prison, his voice echoing throughout the cellar and following Sarah as she walked up the stairs. She had to hold back the tears that threatened to pour out, she had to be strong. She knew it was for the best and that once they woke him up, years later, they'd all be in a better place. But it didn't make it any easier now.

The rest of the night was quite until Stefan came in and even then he went straight to bed, didn't say a word about what had happened at Elena's. Sarah stayed up for a bit but then retreated to her bedroom where she had a restless sleep. All through the night her hearing kept focusing on Damon and his painful groans from the cellar. More than once she contemplated going down and feeding him some blood. Not a lot, just enough to ease his pain. She never did though.

The next morning was a slow start but eventually Sarah was up and before she knew it she was ready for the Sexy Suds car wash that Stefan and her were going to. She had her green bikini set that marched her eyes but over that she wore black sweatpants, a dark pink tank top and an old grey hoodie that she fished out of her closet. That was one benefit to being a vampire, you never had to wore about growing out of cloths. Once you turned you were the same for all eternity, size wise anyway.

Sarah met Stefan down in the hallway after he'd had a chat with Damon, she'd over heard the short conversation. It was nothing she hadn't heard before, just Damon taunting Stefan about the secrets he was keeping from Elena. She decided to hold her tongue on the matter, at least for the time being. No doubt she'd voice her opinions once Damon was finally dealt with, but Stefan didn't need the extra baggage right now.

Stefan was dressed in similar attire to Sarah, hoodie and sweatpants with a swim suit underneath. Once he was good to go the two left for the school where the car wash was being held.

As they arrived they found the school parking lot to be filled with students all dressed in there swim wear, washing cars and laughing aloud. Sarah smiled slightly as she and her brother walked through the parking lot and over to a stand where Caroline and Elena were sat. Caroline was giving her some speech about how to run the place and Elena was just nodding along.

"Hi," Stefan said as he and Sarah came to a stop beside the stand.

"Hey," Elena greeted them warmly, though Sarah was sure it was more directed at Stefan than her. It was good to see them back on friendly terms.

"The event is called 'Sex Suds' you know," Caroline said as she got up, clearly not happy with what the three were wearing.

"How about I get changed them?" suggested Sarah with a cocked eyebrow and Caroline's face light up.

"That's what I like about you, Sarah, you know how to listen," Caroline said as she wrapped her arm around Sarah's and led her away. Stefan and Elena chuckled but Caroline ignored them, Sarah just looked back and smiled at the two. She was desperate to get her mind off of Damon and this might just be the thing she needed.

Caroline quickly helped Sarah change and then led her over to Matt and Bonnie.

"Whoa! Sarah you look-" Matt started as he looked to Sarah in her green bikini.

"Less looking more cleaning, Matt," snapped Caroline, cutting him off.

"Sure thing boss," Matt joked with a salute. Caroline just rolled her eyes and walked off, leaving Sarah in Bonnie and Matt's care. Bonnie handed Sarah a yellow sponge and the two began cleaning while Matt stared off in the direction of Stefan and Elena who had begun to kiss.

"Uh-uh, no. None of that tortured pining stuff," Bonnie said as she glared at Matt. Sarah just remained quiet and kept cleaning. She didn't want to get caught up in another love triangle or square or whatever stupid shape worked best. That didn't stop her from listening however, it was as good a distraction as any.

"I'm just observing," Matt said with a smile.

"Mmm," Sarah murmured with a grin as she looked to Matt.

"Not you too," Matt groaned and the two girls laughed as he returned to cleaning the car between them.

"Oh, Tiki, this one's yours." Bonnie said, walking over to another girl as a car pulled up. With Bonnie now gone talking to the girl known as Tiki, it was just Sarah and Matt cleaning the car now. For a moment there was silence between them as they worked and then Sarah's eyes drifted to his abs.

"You alright there?" Matt asked noticing that Sarah was staring at him.

"Yeah, just enjoying the view," Sarah answered with a cheeky grin, biting her lower lip as her eyes slowly moved down his body. Matt grinned and blushed, looking away shyly as he continued to clean. Next thing the two knew the girl Bonnie had been talking too was screaming as the hose she was holding sprayed her with water. Everyone began to laugh and Matt rushed over to turn off the hose.

"Wet and wild, Tiki!" He shouted as he turned off the water, the rest of the teenagers still laughing. Though Sarah noticed Bonnie watching closely. There something about the girl that felt...strange, but Sarah couldn't put her finger on it. She quickly dropped the thought when Matt returned.

Once the laughter died down everyone got back to work. Bonnie returned to help Matt and Sarah and three got through their first car and started on their second. They were in the middle of cleaning it when Bonnie spoke up.

"You sure it's a good idea to be wearing that ring?" Bonnie asked as she looked at the ring on Sarah's finger.

"It's fine," Sarah said with a shake of the head, trying to drop the subject.

"You're not worried about it getting damaged?" Bonnie asked with a frown.

"It's been through a lot worse than soap and bubbles. It'll be fine, trust me," Sarah said with a friendly smile to Bonnie.

"Looks nice. What's it made out off?" Matt asked as he eyed the ring.

"Lapis Lazuli," Sarah answered, getting on with her work and hopping the two would take the hint to drop the subject.

"Don't Stefan and Damon have rings like that?" Bonnie pointed out.

"Yeah, they're custom made," Sarah answered just before her stomach let out a growl.

"Did someone skip out on breakfast?" Matt asked with a chuckle. Sarah didn't respond, just look down as she felt her face transform. She had to keep them from seeing, at least until she got it under control. She hadn't fed in too long, she was feeling weak, and the weaker she got the harder it would be to fight the hunger inside her. She need blood soon, otherwise she'd end up killing someone. Thinking about it she wasn't sure she'd fed since Caroline.

"You alright there?" Bonnie asked with concern as she lifted Sarah's chin to see her face which had now returned to normal.

"Yeah, just hungry," Sarah lied as she pulled her face from Bonnie's grasp.

"I think there's snacks inside. Try asking Caroline, she might know," suggested Matt. Sarah nodded and left her sponge as she headed towards the school. Human food wasn't going to cut it, she needed blood. Luckily Caroline was also heading for the school. She felt bad for the girl, but remembering the taste of her blood made Sarah lick her lips tastefully. She could just bite her and then heal her, no one would ever know. She chased after her into the school at walking pace.

Entering the school Sarah lost track of Caroline and cursed herself. She'd just lost a great opportunity for a snack and now she was going to be starving for even longer. Or so she thought until she heard the sound of running footsteps. She ran through the corridors in a blur until she came to a stop, spotting Caroline as she ran out the side door.

Sarah looked back over her shoulder but there was no one chasing her. She looked back to the door Caroline had ran out of with a frown. _Why was she running? And why was she going in the opposite direction of the car wash?_ Sarah wondered. Curiosity somehow took over her hunger and she followed Caroline out of the school.

She followed her for a few miles as the girl walked on foot in a straight line, only averting from her path to avoid trees that popped up in her way. Sarah couldn't figure out why she was walking so far into the woods, it would have made more sense to take her car if she was going this far out of town. She kept walking, unaware that Sarah was following from behind hind.

Eventually she grew tired and impatient and ran out in front of Caroline coming to a stop in front of her. But Caroline didn't react. She just stepped around Sarah and kept going. Sarah looked over to the blank faced Caroline that didn't even give her a second look. _What was going on?_

"Caroline. Caroline," Sarah called out as she put her hand on the girl's shoulder to try and stop her from going on. Caroline just shrugged her off and kept going. It was like she was in a trance and nothing would stop her from reaching her goal. Curious as to what that was Sarah continued to follow until her home came into view.

Sarah stopped and frowned as Caroline continued on. _What was Caroline doing here? Did she even know it existed?_ Every time Sarah had seen Caroline with Damon they'd been at hers. Damon had never brought her to the house. She watched as Caroline entered the house and then ran in after her at normal speed. She lost sight of the blonde haired girl until she heard her speak.

"Damon?" Caroline said. Sarah then knew why Caroline had come here. Damon must have compelled her to come for him if she didn't see him after so long. She ran for the cellar at full speed and came to a stop at the base of the stairs.

"Caroline, no!" Sarah shouted but it was too late. She'd unbolted the door. Damon ran at the door but Zach jumped out of nowhere and threw himself against the door.

"Run!" he shouted at Caroline as she took off running for the stairs. Sarah ran forwards to help Zach hold the door but Damon had it open before she could get to it. He knocked Sarah aside with a whack from the door and then kicked Zach to the ground. Sarah looked up just as Damon grabbed Zach's neck.

"NO!" Sarah shrieked as the sound of Zach's snapping neck filled the small corridor. Damon then quickly took off after Caroline and Sarah didn't try and stop him. She just sat on the floor, staring at Zach's lifeless body. She may not have been as close to him as Stefan but he was family and she had loved him like she had her brothers. He had dissevered better than this.

Slowly she crawled over to Zach's body and then shut his soulless eyes with her hand. She gave him a moment of silence before she heard the shout of pain from Damon upstairs. _Damon was going to pay for this. This was a step too far._ Sarah got back up to her feet and marched up the stairs. She found Damon in the living room, pouting as he walked around.

"Oh, Sarah. If you didn't drain Zach off all his blood, mind if I have some?" Damon asked with his usual smirk. Sarah screamed and raced over to him, her fangs baring and her eyes red with blood. She was angry, angry at Damon for what he'd done. And she wanted to hurt him. Unfortunately when she dived towards Damon he grabbed her by the throat and flipped her over and onto the floor.

"Looks like you're not as strong as you thought," Damon snarled as he held his sister down by her throat. His eyes darted to Sarah's ring and she knew what he was thinking of doing.

"Damon...don't," Sarah said fear creeping into her voice as Damon held her down. She tried to get free but her lack of blood had made her weak and level with Damon who had the advantage.

"Tell Stefan I want my ring back," Damon snarled before grabbing onto his sister's head and snapping her neck, just like he'd done with Zach. Sarah's world went black, as if Damon had switched off a light switch and then next thing she knew she was waking up in Stefan's arms.

"Sarah? Sarah, what happened?" Stefan asked as he looked down at her. She was still on the floor where Damon had snapped her neck. Panic gripped her instantly and she looked to her hands and a wave of relief passed over her when she saw her ring was still on her finger. _He hadn't taken it. There was still good in him. He still cared about his family. Deep down. At least enough not to take her ring and leave her to fry._

"Sarah," Stefan said again grabbing her attention again as she looked up into his eyes.

"Zach..." Sarah stammered.

"I know. Where's Damon?" Stefan asked again, holding onto Sarah tightly. Sarah shook her head, she didn't know. Stefan pressed his lips together and then headed for the cellar. Once Sarah had gotten to her feet and the dizziness stopped she went to follow him only to have him meet her in the hall, to stakes of wood in his hands. He handed one too her and she looked to him in horrified shock. Stefan must have known the question she was going to ask because he was already answering it.

"He killed Zach, Sarah. He killed him and he wouldn't hesitate to do it to anyone else. We have to stop him... By any means necessary," Stefan said, still holding out the stake for Sarah too take. She stared at him for a moment, then at the stake, before she took it. She looked back up at him and nodded in agreement. He nodded back and the two ran for the front door only to open it and find Elena on the other side.

"What are you?" Elena asked with a horror in her eyes. Sarah and Stefan froze in their tracks. _She knew. Elena knew their secret. She knew that they were vampires._


	6. Lost Girls

_Since 'Only Reviewer' asked this I figured I'd just tell you all in case you were wondering, Katie McGrath is the actress on the cover and the one who I imagine as Sarah if that's helpful. And now half your question will be answered 'Only Reviewer'. As for the other part...you'll just have to wait and see..._

* * *

 **Chapter 6: Lost Girls**

* * *

Stefan and Sarah exited the original Salvatore home, Stefan dressed in shirt and bow tie with jacket while Sarah wore a long light green dress that brought out her eyes. They'd both been asked to greet their house guest who was coming up the path as they stood on the porch.

The horse drawn carriage came around and stopped in front of the steps to the Salvatore house. Stefan waited with his hands behind his back, just like he'd been taught, while Sarah rested hers over each other in front of her waist.

They watched as the driver hopped off the carriage and put out a stool by the door before opening it up for those inside. First to come out was a dark skinned woman in common cloths, clearly a servant of the real guest. She stood to the side and then helped out the white woman that followed her. She was dressed in a fine white dress, Sarah had to admit she looked beautiful and that was before she'd even seen her face.

The woman looked up and as Sarah suspected she was beautiful. What she didn't know yet was that this woman looked exactly like Elena. She watched as the woman's eyes connected with Stefan, and his eyes connected with hers.

"Somebody likes you," Sarah whispered to her brother teasingly earning her a disapproving glare from her brother. He then proceeded down the stairs with Sarah behind him as the servant finished smoothing out the woman's dress.

"You must be, Miss Pierce," Stefan said with a bow as he greeted her, while Sarah curtseyed from behind.

"Please, call me Katherine," the woman said as she smiled at Stefan. "And you are?"

"Stefan Salvatore, and my sister, Sarah Salvatore," Stefan introduced the two of them, gesturing to Sarah when he said her name. Katherine smiled at the two and they smiled back. Both completely unaware of all that was to follow from that moment on.

* * *

"What are you?" Elena repeated when neither Stefan nor Sarah answered her. Sarah looked to Stefan, waiting for him to say. It was better for it to come from Stefan than her, for Elena at least. She waited and waited but still Stefan didn't say anything.

"We've not got time for this," Sarah finally snapped pushing past Stefan as she walked out the door. Elena jumped back but Sarah ignored her and kept going. Next thing she was off running down the drive and into the forest, she knew this would startle Elena but she didn't care. She just had to find Damon before he exposed all of them and before Stefan. She has no intention of killing her brother. Would there be consequences for what he did? Definitely. But she'd want to lose another family member that night.

She ran through the forest, looking for any trail she could find on her older brother but there was nothing. At this point she was just running and hoping she'd either bump into him or pick up on the smell of blood.

Sarah then stopped instantly when she picked up the smell of blood in the air. She looked towards the direction of the scent and felt her face change. She took in a deep calming breath and relaxed her face allowing it to return to normal. She would have to feed, Damon would have by now and she'd been no match for him if he'd had blood and she hadn't.

Within a second she was at the source of the blood and she forgot all about feeding when she saw who was lying on the ground with blood leaking out of a wound on her leg. It was Scarlett, the teenage girl she hadn't seen in a few days. She quickly remembered her story about how she ran away. Sarah had to admit she was surprised that the girl hadn't gone home yet.

"Oh, shit," Scarlet groaned as she looked at the cut on her leg. Sarah had to take deep breaths and close her eyes, focusing on control, so that she didn't run over and start feeding on the poor girl.

"You okay there?" Sarah asked once she felt the hunger fade. Scarlett jumped and then let out an annoyed sigh.

"You always sneak up on people in the woods?" Scarlet asked with clear attitude as she inspected her wound.

"Only the injured ones," Sarah retorted as she walked over with a smirk, Scarlett didn't seem to acknowledge her. She didn't recognise her, but why would she, Sarah had taken away her memories. Sarah walked around and knelt down in front of Scarlett who was still pocking at her wound. "Need some help?"

"I'm good thanks," Scarlet said sourly as she gave Sarah a glare. Sarah just rolled her eyes, she'd forget how stubborn this girl was. "What's with the bikini get up?" Scarlett then asked with a frown as she looked over Sarah. The vampire looked down and let out a laugh. In all the commotion she'd forgotten she was still wearing her swim suit from the car wash.

"Long story," Sarah said, with no time to tell her. Instead she grabbed hold of Scarlett's chin and moved her head so that the girl's eyes were aligned with her own. Her pupils become dilated and shifted in size, captivating Scarlett.

"I'm taking you home and you're going to stay there until morning," Sarah ordered and then broke off eye contact. She stood up to her full height and then held out a hand for Scarlett. The teenager took it and Sarah pulled her up to her feet.

"Thanks," Scarlett said sincerely as she leaned on Sarah for balance.

"No problem. Now, come on,"Sarah said as she led Scarlett through the woods. It took them a while but eventually they finally made it to the teenager's trailer. Upon arrival a man opened the door, a fat man, who Sarah presumed was the uncle.

"Look who's come crawling back," he snapped as he stormed out the trailer. Sarah shrugged of Scarlett near a tree and waited for the girl to lean on it before walking up to the uncle. He was about to start yelling again but Sarah grabbed him by the throat, preventing him from doing so.

"Listen here you fat bastard," Sarah snapped locking eyes with him. "You're going to take this girl inside, and you are going to care for her until morning. You won't invite anyone in and after you get inside your home, you'll forget all about me," Sarah said with her compulsion. The man accepted everything he was told and Sarah then realised him from her grasp.

"Get inside," Sarah ordered, looking over to Scarlett who groaned before limping over to the door. Her uncle went to follow but Sarah grabbed his wrist and held him still. She waited for Scarlet to get inside and then she spun the uncle around to face her.

"Give me your wrist," Sarah ordered and the man held it out. Before he could react Sarah's face changed and she had her fangs in his wrist. She was in a hurry and didn't have time to do it cleanly. She needed blood and this jackass was full of it. She drunk up until she felt her strength return and her hunger fade. Once she was full she let go of the wrist and pushed the man away, her mouth covered in blood.

"Get inside. Now!" Sarah ordered and the man turned and ran. But once he stepped across the threshold he completely forgot what had happened and looked down at his bleeding wrist in confusion. When he looked back, Sarah was already gone. Back to her search for Damon, now that she was refuelled.

Her search brought her nothing until she got a call from Stefan saying he'd been speaking to Damon. He wanted his ring back which was no surprise to her but he had also killed a group of people, or so Stefan guess. His suspicions turned out to be true when Sarah came across a group of black crisped bodies in the cemetery. She called Stefan and both agreed it was most likely Damon's handy work. Other than that, Sarah found no other leads the whole night. She had continued searching while Stefan stood watch outside Elena's house. She had offered to take over for him but he refused so she had stuck to searching for her other brother. At some point she went back to the house get changed, switching her swim suit for jeans and her leather jacket. When she presumed her search she tried going over hiding spots she'd already visited but there was still no sigh of Damon.

When the sun came up Sarah began running out of places to look. Damon would now have to be in the shade otherwise he'd be burnt alive. That either made her search easier or harder, true it narrowed down the search area but not by much, and there were still so many places he could be hiding out at.

Eventually she got a call from Stefan saying that Damon was trapped at the house. She was going to head back and lock him up but Stefan asked her to instead met with him and Elena outside the Grill. Sarah had argued but in the end Stefan managed to convince her that Damon could wait, after all they had until sun down. Until that point he would be at the house, he couldn't leave without his ring.

When Sarah arrived she found Elena waiting and decided to remain out of sight until Stefan arrived. She had an alright relationship with Elena but she wasn't about to put it to the test now that she knew she was a vampire. When Stefan finally showed up she appeared at his side and the three then sat down at one of the outside tables.

For a while no one said anything. Elena ordered a drink but Stefan and Sarah refused. Both seemed to have the same idea that suggesting they were thirsty would only make Elena more uneasy. After that another few minutes passed and then Elena finally spoke.

"You said you would explain everything. That's why I asked you to meet me here. When you google 'vampire' you get a world of fiction. What's the reality?" Elena asked with a stern face. Stefan and Sarah shared a quick look and then looked back to Elena.

"We can tell you whatever you wanna know," Stefan said.

"We'll be completely honest with you," Sarah added.

"I know you eat garlic," Elena said.

"Yes," Both vampires said.

"And somehow sunlight's not an issue," Elena said as the waitress returned with her drink. She sat it down and Elena thanked her before she left, allowing the three to return to their conversation.

"We have rings that protect us," Stefan said as he flexed the finger his ring was on. Sarah just looked down at hers hands that rested on the table, running her fingers over her own ring.

"Crucifixes?"

"Decorative," Stefan answered.

"Holy water?" Elena asked next.

"I prefer wine myself, but it's drinkable," Sarah answered with a smirk and a shrug. She almost saw Elena smile for a moment.

"Mirrors?" Sarah just rose her eyebrows, looking to Stefan and then back to Elena.

"With his hair. It's be impossible," Sarah joked. Again Elena almost smiled while Stefan smirked at his sister's wit. Then the conversation became serious again.

"You said you don't kill to survive," Elena pointed out.

"Animal blood keeps me alive, but not as strong as Sarah or Damon," Stefan explained and then Elena's eyes darted over to Sarah's.

"So you kill people?" Elena asked.

"No. I feed off of them, but I don't kill them. I use blood bags when I can but it's not always an option," Sarah explained. She caught the look of worry across Elena's face and smiled a little. "We promised you the truth." Elena nodded, understanding it was what she had asked for.

"So did you feed on Caroline like Damon did?" Sarah's eyes shot down to the ground, shame washing over her. When she looked back up at Elena she couldn't bring herself to answer so she only nodded. She wasn't going to apologize for what she was, but somehow the look Elena was giving her made her feel guilty for what happened with Caroline. Maybe it did get a bit out of hand. Usually she'd feed of someone and then never see them again.

"So you hurt her?" Elena questioned angrily.

"She feed on her. Damon took away Caroline's memories of everything using a form of mind compulsion. She never knew what was happening," Stefan explained, quick to defend his sister.

"And that makes it okay?" Elena snapped.

"No, no. None of this is okay, Elena," Stefan agreed.

"What Damon did to Caroline was too far. Normally vampires just feed and the erase the memory. He was playing with her mind as well," Sarah explained.

"Why didn't you stop him?" Elena asked.

"It's not easy to override another vampires compulsion, especially when their as strong as Damon. He had to good a hold over her," Sarah explained but it didn't seem to make Elena feel any better.

"Are there others, beside you three?" Elena asked, changing the subject.

"Not in Mystic Falls, not anymore," Stefan answered.

"Not anymore?"

"There was a time when this town was...very much aware of vampires, and it didn't end well for anybody. That's why it's important that you don't tell anyone," Stefan said while Sarah sat quietly at his side.

"I can't promise that," Elena said coldly, though Sarah couldn't blame her. The girl's world had just been turned upside down, how was she supposed to react?

"Elena. Give me today. I will answer any questions that you have, and when it' over you can decide for yourself what you wanna do with what you know. It'll be your choice," Stefan said as he watched Elena carefully, Sarah doing the same. After a moment of thinking, Elena nodded in response.

"Come on. There's something you should see," Stefan said as he got up with Sarah. Elena hesitated at first and then stood up, walking over to her car and then driving off and following the directions that Stefan gave her.

Sitting in the back, it didn't take Sarah long to realise where Stefan was taking them. Elena drove through the woods until Stefan told her to stop.

"What are we doing here?" Elena asked as the three exited the car. Hopping out and then closing the door, Sarah shoved her hands in her leather jacket pockets and followed Stefan as he led her and Elena down a dirt path to a few bricks that lay around.

"I wanted to show you something."

"In the middle of nowhere?" Elena said, unsure of why she'd agree to come out into the woods with two vampires. Sarah had to agree, it wasn't the best decision. If they had wanted to they could have killed her right there and then. Sarah would be lying if she said she didn't want to. Elena was a risk. Plus she never stopped reminding her of Katherine. But she had to admit the more time she spent with Elena the more differences she saw and it made her see Elena more than Katherine.

"This...didn't used to be nowhere," Stefan said as he looked around the bricks that still remained after a century and a half.

"It was our home," Sarah finished as she looked at the grounds, remembering the house she and her brothers had grown up in.

"It looks so..." Elena started.

"Old? It's because they are," Stefan said with a thin smile to Elena.

"Wait. How long have you two-"

"We've been seventeen years old since 1864," Stefan said and Elena's jaw dropped making Sarah smile at the teenager.

"Oh my god."

"You said you wanted to know. I'm not gonna hold anything back," Stefan said holding his arms out as Sarah stepped up to her brother's side and turned to Elena whose eyes were now on her.

"Half a century before the boarding house was even built, this was our family home," Sarah explained as she looked over her shoulder to the grounds where her home once stood. "Damon, Stefan and I... We were all born here. The Salvatore siblings," Sarah said looking to her brother with a reminiscent smile. "Best friends," she said and Stefan smiled back at her.

* * *

Stefan and Damon came running out of the house with Sarah following at a casual walk. She watched from the porch while her brothers threw back and forth some strange object.

"Wait. Where did you learn this game?" Stefan asked as he threw the object known as the 'ball' to Damon.

"Camp outside Atlanta. One of the officers picked it up at Harvard. Catch!" Damon explained before throwing the ball back to Stefan who caught it in his hands.

"Wait a minute. Wait a minute," Stefan said as his brother ran at him and tackled him to the ground. "What are the rules? What are the rules?" Stefan asked as Damon tried to pull the ball from his brother's hands. Sarah just watched from the porch and laughed at her brothers. She was completely unaware of Katherine who had appeared at her side.

"Who needs rules?" Katherine asked with a smirk. The two Salvatore brothers broke apart and jumped up to their feet which only made Katherine and Sarah laugh. Katherine then nodded for Sarah to follow her and she did.

"Mind if we join you?" Katherine asked as she led Sarah over to her brothers.

"I'm not sure that's a good idea," Sarah said nervously from Katherine's side.

"I agree. You could, uh...you could get hurt. My brother likes to play rough, as our sister knows all too well," Stefan said as he gestured to Sarah with the ball. Sarah flashed him an appreciative smile for coming to her aid but it didn't seem to stop Katherine from persisting.

"Somehow I think that you play rougher," Katherine flirted before turning to Sarah. "And I'm sure Sarah's a lot more durable than you think. Isn't that right?" Katherine said as she locked eyes with Sarah, a spark of excitement in her eyes. She snatched the ball from Stefan, grabbed hold of Sarah's wrist and took off running, laughing as she ran.

"Wait. Wait!" Sarah said, sounding unsure but then she began to laugh with Katherine. She looked back to see her brothers chasing after her and Katherine. It had been so long since she'd been allowed to play with her brothers like this. It felt good to do so again.

* * *

"You knew Katherine in 1864? But Sarah said..." Elena said in confusion as she looked to Sarah after the two vampires had told her part of their story.

"I lied... And I was also trying to mess with you and Stefan. Sorry," Sarah said looking away as Elena looked at her.

"So you were trying to break us up?" Elena asked accusingly.

"No. Sarah likes to mess with me but she'd never do anything like that," Stefan jumped in, though Elena didn't seem entirely convinced. "Damon was the one trying to do that. He saw that I was happy and he wanted to ruin it," Stefan explained.

"All because you loved the same women 145 years ago?"

"She wasn't just any girl," Stefan said and Sarah rolled her eyes at his comment. They then continued the story of the Salvatore siblings and Katherine.

* * *

At the back of the house, Stefan chases Katherine and Sarah through the gardens that are shaped like a maze. He manages to catch Sarah but then let's Katherine escape and reach a statue. She grabbed onto the statue like it was life or death and then relaxed.

"Ha! I win," Katherine said triumphantly as Stefan and Sarah approach her. "Now what's my price?" Katherine asked as she walked over to Stefan, a grin on her face.

"What would you like it to be?" The three looked over to see Damon sat on a stone bench, a pleased smirk on his face.

"They extended your leave?" Sarah asked excitedly as she ran over to her brother, hugging him tightly. She would never have admitted it, but she had had many sleepiness nights over her brother. Fearing the worst had happened to him while he was away.

"I was simply having too much fun to return to battle," Damon said as he and Sarah parted so that Stefan could get his turn.

"Your commitment to the confederacy is inspiring," Stefan said with a laugh as he hugged Damon with Sarah smiling from ear to ear beside them.

"Well, this works out wonderfully for me," Katherine said as she approached the Salvatore siblings with a grin on her face. Stefan and Damon parted and the three turned to face her with smiles.

"How's that Miss Katherine?" Damon asked.

"Now I'll have all the Salvatore Siblings to keep me entertained. But first and foremost. I'll need one of you two to escort me to the founder's ball," Katherine said as she pointed to both Damon and Stefan.

"With Pleasure," Stefan said.

"I would be honoured," Damon also said, at the same time, with a bow. Katherine smiled at the two and they both grinned back.

"The smart and kind Salvatore brothers both coming to my rescue. How will I ever choose?" Katherine asked as she eyed Sarah. "I think I shall need your help with this, Sarah," Katherine said as she took Sarah by the wrist and led her back towards the house. Sarah looked back to see her brothers pointing to themselves and mouthing to her to put in a good word for them. Sarah smiled sheepishly back at them before she entered the house with Katherine.

* * *

"She chose me," Stefan said, finishing the story as he looked to Elena. Nearby Sarah was stood, leaning against a tree and listening to the story of her life and her brothers. She couldn't help but wish she could go back and change it.

"I escorted her to the ball at the original Lockwood mansion," Stefan added while Sarah looked over her nails.

"The first founder's party... Where you sighed the registry," Elena said as realisation took over.

"Clever girl," Sarah said teasingly, but Elena smiled softly back at her anyway ignoring her cheek.

"I didn't care that I had gotten something that my brother wanted," Stefan continued and Elena looked back to him, as did Sarah. "I didn't even care if it hurt him. I only knew that I wanted her."

"So he was upset." Sarah let out a laugh at Elena's words causing her and Stefan to look her way.

"Damon doesn't get upset," Sarah said as her laugh dropped and she turned serious. "He gets even. And what Damon wants, Damon usually gets," Sarah said sternly with warning in her eyes as she looked into Elena's. She saw the teenager shudder and knew that she took what Sarah said seriously.

"We didn't know it at the time, but...turns out that night...Katherine was with him too...and Sarah," Stefan said looking to his sister who looked down at the ground, ashamed of the memory Stefan was referring to.

"What?" exclaimed Elena as she looked to Sarah in shock. Sarah ignored her and just brushed her hair aside and tucked it behind her ear. She took in a deep breath before looking up to Elena.

* * *

"Katherine...I...I'm not sure..." Sarah stammered as Katherine gently pushed her down onto her bed.

"Shh," Katherine purred, putting her finger on Sarah's lips and silencing her. They were both dressed in their undergarments. Sarah hadn't been sure why, she had just felt an urge to remove her clothing when Katherine closed the door.

It was dark out, everyone else was probably a sleep, but after tonight Sarah wasn't sure if she'd ever sleep again. She felt so bad for what she was doing, she didn't want to, she knew it was wrong, but she had no control. She was trembling, her lips shaking beneath Katherine's finger.

"It's okay," Katherine said soothingly as she ran her hand down Sarah's face, smiling down at the fragile girl. Katherine leaned in and kissed Sarah on the lips, she paused and then did it again, and again, and again until they were making out. Sarah couldn't explain it, but something was forcing her to kiss Katherine back, to enjoy it. _Was it a demon?_ Sarah wondered in fear, but she kept going all the same.

When Katherine finally stopped she lay on top of Sarah, looming over her with a joyful smile. "I will always remember this moment," Katherine said as she towered over Sarah. Sarah could feel Katherine moving her hips over her own, sensations spreading inside her. Her lips parted and a gasped escaped her mouth as her eyes locked with Katherine's.

"Are you the devil?" Sarah whispered in fear as she stared up at the woman looming over her.

"No," Katherine said with a light giggle and a devilish smile. Slowly her face transformed, her eyes became severely blood shot with blood veins appearing around her eyes and fangs formed in her mouth. Sharp fangs that showed when she hissed at Sarah. She wanted to scream but her body was paralyzed by some power that held her still, not allowing her to move.

Katherine leaned in and bit down into Sarah's neck. She grimaced as Katherine's fangs broke the skin, felling them move around as Katherine sucked the blood from her body like a leech. Sarah still couldn't do anything, she was helpless as Katherine feed on her. After a while Katherine pulled away, her mouth covered in blood, but her face had returned to normal.

"It's alright," Katherine said as she locked eyes with Sarah. Instantly Sarah knew she was right, it was all alright. "You're not afraid of me. In fact, you love me, like you would love a man. You would do anything for me. And you won't tell anyone about me," Katherine ordered, her eyes dilating as she gave her commands to Sarah.

"I love you. I would do anything for you. I won't tell anyone about you," Sarah repeated in a hypnotized tone as she stared blankly up into Katherine's eyes. Katherine smiled back down at her puppet and stroked her face before kissing her.

* * *

"She was able to control our minds. She compelled us all to keep the secret from each other," Stefan explained once he and Sarah had finished telling their individual stories.

"She treated us like her play things," Sarah said angrily as she clenched her fist. Suddenly she swung at a nearby tree, sending bark flying as she punched the tree trunk. Elena jumped but Stefan didn't seem to react, this was normal for when they talked about Katherine. In truth he was surprised she hadn't snapped sooner.

"It didn't matter to her that she was tearing our family apart," Sarah sobbed as she turned back, tears having formed in her eyes. The memories were so painful, she'd forget how painful they actually were. To have been used like a puppet, forced to do things they'd never wanted to. It was hell. And it was all because of Katherine.

As Sarah started to cry, Stefan approached her and opened up his arms. She fell into them, pressing her face into his shirt as he held her close. It had always been harder on her than her brothers. For them they were just falling in love, unaware of the each other. For Sarah she had been committing a sin, or what she believed to be a sin at the time. It had been a long time before she had been able to move on from that, to realise that what she had done wasn't her fault and that she had in fact done nothing wrong. But it didn't make the pain of be used any less dramatic.

"She wanted us all to be together. Forever," Stefan said, looking over to Elena as he held onto Sarah. She pushed him away as he said that, wiping her eyes.

"Yeah, well it didn't work out that way. Did it," Sarah snapped as she stormed over to a nearby rock and sat herself down, wiping the tears that had reformed in her eyes. "It's just the three of us. And thanks to Katherine, we're hardly even a family anymore," Sarah muttered from her seated position.

"Well... Maybe this will help bring us back together," Stefan said as he pulled Damon's ring out from its hiding spot in amongst some rocks.

"Damon's ring," Sarah said as she eyed the ring.

"No. Stefan no, you can't give it back to him. Keep it hidden," Elena said as she marched over to him. Sarah was about to stand up and start shouting at Elena to stay out of it but Stefan had already started talking.

"If I don't give it to him, he'll retaliate in the only way he knows he can hurt me," Stefan said with a solemn look at Elena.

"And how is that?" Elena asked with a frown.

"By hurting you," Sarah answered and Elena looked over to Sarah who had the same hard look as Stefan. For Sarah it was an easy choice. Give Damon his ring and save Elena. But it wasn't her choice to make. Sarah looked to Stefan who just stare at Elena, he'd already made up his mind. He was only telling Elena because he promised to be honest.

"That mind control thing you said Katherine used on all of you... Do you ever do that to me?" Elena asked looking to Stefan.

"No. That necklace, it contains an herb called vervain. It protects you from being compelled. I wanted to protect you from Damon and Sarah's influence. But I also wanted to...protect you from me," Stefan said slowly, Elena giving him a confused look at the last part. Sarah knew why he'd done it. _Noble Stefan_ , she thought to herself as she watched the two talk.

"Elena, you should never take that necklace off. Because no matter what happens after today, no matter how you feel about me... You'll know that you were free to make your own choice," Stefan said as Elena looked down at her necklace that Stefan had given her.

"We should go," Sarah said getting up and causing the two to turn and look at her. "Suns going down and then Damon will be able to leave the house. We need to get back before then," Sarah said looking to Stefan who nodded in agreement.

The three returned to the car and Elena drove them all back to her house. She parked the car in its usual spot and then all of them headed inside to find a small commotion going on in the house.

"I'm fine. I'm fine." They all heard Jeremy say from the living room. The three walked in to the kitchen to find Vicki standing over Jeremy who was on the floor with Matt stood between them.

"Damn, Vick," Matt said as he looked to his sister.

"What's going on?" Elena asked as she approached Vicki. As for Stefan and Sarah they looked around, smelling something in the air, something new. Something they hadn't smelt in a long time. They looked to one another, realising what the smell was and then turned to Vicki.

"Elena, back up," Stefan ordered as he pulled Elena back while Sarah stepped up to Vicki and took hold of her head. She held the side of Vicki's head, making sure that she was still and looking into her eyes. It was obvious what was happening, but this only confirmed it to her.

She looked back to Stefan with a worried look and he caught it as he held onto Elena. Sarah then turned back to Vicki, still holding onto her face as her eyes darted around all over the place.

"Vicki, look at me. Focus," Sarah instructed and Vicki's eyes connected with hers, remaining still as Sarah spoke calmly to her. "You're going to be fine. Everything's gonna be fine," Sarah said with a soft smile while Vicki nodded along slowly in agreement. Then she turned her attention on Matt and Jeremy.

"Take her upstairs, put her in bed. Shut the blinds. She's going to be okay," Sarah said and Matt nodded apprecitivly as he passed her. He and Jeremy then led Vicki out the kitchen and up the stairs, leaving Stefan, Elena and Sarah in the kitchen alone. Once the others were out of hearing range the two vampires let out a stress filled sigh, Sarah even ran her hands down her face.

"You know what's wrong with her?" Elena asked, eyeing the two.

"Yeah," Stefan said slowly.

"What is it?"

"She's transitioning."

"Transitioning to what?" Elena asked with a fearful frown. Stefan couldn't say it so Sarah did.

"A vampire," Sarah said bluntly and Elena's jaw dropped.

"What?" Elena gasped with widened eyes.

"Damon must have gotten to her," Stefan said as he ran a hand over his jaw.

"Yah think," Sarah said and Stefan shot her a look, it wasn't the time for joking.

"She's new. She hasn't completed her transformation yet."

"How does she do that?" Elena asked, though she already knew the answer.

"She has to feed on human blood," Sarah answered when Stefan didn't.

"And what if she doesn't?" Elena asked looking to Sarah.

"She'll die," Sarah answered bluntly bluntly again. "She may only have a few hours," she added as her eyes darted back and forth between Elena and Stefan.

"But-But she's upstairs with Jeremy. Right now. And Matt," Elena said pointing to the ceiling.

"It's okay. She doesn't know what's happening to her yet," Stefan said as he leaned back against the counter while Elena paced back and forth. Sarah was leaning her elbows down on the counter and holding up her head.

"So when is she gonna know?"

"Right now, she doesn't remember anything. A part of her is still human," Stefan explained before Sarah took over.

"But the more she gets into the transition, the more memories will start to come back. And then she'll know she has to make a choice."

"The same choice you both made?" Elena said as she looked between the two Salvatore siblings. The two vampires shared a look before looking back to Elena and nodding slowly. The three the stopped talking when Matt returned to the kitchen.

"Thanks for helping," he said walking in, leaning down on the counter that Sarah was at.

"It's no problem," Sarah said as she reached over with her hand so that it touched Matt's. He gave her a sincere smile while Elena eyed them cautiously. Before anything more could happen they all turned to the hallway when footsteps came trampling down the stairs. Matt was the first one to get into the hallway and from behind Sarah and Stefan watched as Vicki ran out, slamming the door behind her.

"Vicki. Vicki!" Matt shouted after his sister as he ran out the front door but Vicki was already gone. Stefan, Sarah and Elena ran out after him, looking around for any sign of the girl.

"She was fine and then she just-She just freaked out," Jeremy explained from the porch as everyone turned to look at him.

"I'm gonna go look for her. Call me if you hear anything," Matt said as he ran for his truck.

"I can track her," Stefan whispered to Elena.

"I'll come with you," Sarah said but Stefan shock his head.

"No. Stay here in case she comes back. If she's turned you'll be the only one that can protect Elena and Jeremy," Stefan said sternly as he held up his hand. He then looked to Elena who looked to Sarah.

"Go," Elena said looking to Stefan who then took off, leaving Sarah and Elena behind. They stood outside for awhile, not knowing what to do, until the three of them finally went back inside to clean up the house. Better that than doing nothing.

Night had fallen by the time they had all finished. They were standing around the kitchen when Jeremy spoke up.

"I wonder if Matt's found her yet," Jeremy said quietly.

"He'll call when he finds her," Elena said. Though when Jeremy wasn't looking she flashed Sarah a worried look. Sarah gave her a soft smile back and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"This just feels... It feels like what happened to Scarlett is happening all over again." At mention of Scarlett, Sarah looked up at Jeremy with a frown. She had never thought that these people might know Scarlett. From what she had gathered Scarlett was an outcast that most avoided. But as it turned out there were people that cared about her.

"We'll find her, Jeremy. We'll find both of them," Elena said as he pulled her brother into a hug. Sarah couldn't help but smile at the sight of sibling love. It felt like a lifetime since she last saw it. Since she'd experienced it. She missed it.

When the doorbell rang Sarah was the one to answer it with Elena and Jeremy behind her. When she opened the door she almost instantly slammed it shut when she saw who was on the other side. Damon. He caught the door and with a great force he managed to push it open before Sarah could stop him.

"Jeremy, go upstairs," Elena ordered as she and Sarah glare at Damon. Jeremy did as told and ran up the stairs. Once he was gone Damon shot the two girls a smile only for him to then be grabbed by Sarah and pulled inside. In a one second blurry movement Sarah dragged Damon through the hallway and threw him onto the counter in the kitchen. Damon looked up from the counter to see Sarah at his side with fangs bared as she hissed at him.

"Relax, Sarah," Damon groaned before suddenly shoving Sarah away and sending her flying into the living room. Elena gasped but then Sarah was in front of her, staring back down the hallway into the kitchen where Damon was back on his feet.

"I'm not here to kill anyone. Just looking for my ring," Damon said as he tilted his head and eyed Sarah's ring. Then his eyes moved to Elena who was watching from behind Sarah. "Judging by your lack of reaction, I'm going to guess you know about the vampire thing," Damon said as his eyes changed and fangs appeared in his mouth. Elena gasped and then Damon's face turned back to normal.

"So, Sarah, my ring?" Damon said, his eyes snapping back to Sarah's.

"Stefan's got it," Sarah answered, not letting her guard down.

"So where is he then?" Damon hissed angrily, sick of not getting what he wanted.

"He's out looking for Vicki," Elena spoke up from behind Sarah.

"Don't look at me with those judgey little eyes," Damon said as he looked to Elena. "Girl's gonna thank me for what I did to her," Damon said as he took a step forwards into the hallway.

"Did you thank Katherine?" Elena asked. She watched as Sarah tensed up from in front of her and as Damon looked to the ground. He gaze then lifted back up to Elena with a smirk.

"Got the whole life story, huh?"

"I got enough," Elena said.

"Did she,Sarah?" Damon asked look to Sarah with Elena. Sarah's eyes locked with Damon but she remained silent. "Giving me the silent treatment now are we?" Damon asked with a grin as he took another step closer to Sarah.

"Go on, Sarah. Tell her what really happened, how we really turned," Damon said, growing angrier with each word that came from his mouth. Suddenly he ran up to Sarah and stopped right in front of her. Elena jumped but Sarah remained still, looking up into her big brother's icy eyes.

"Sarah?" Elena said with clear fear in her voice as she stepped backwards away from the two vampires.

"Come on, Sarah. I know it must be hard, remembering what Katherine did to you, to us. And when you think back, I'm sure you wish you could take revenge on her. I bet you want to hurt her for what she's done to our family. To you," Damon said as he leaned in towards his little sister. He was leaning past her, his mouth beside her ear and out of her sight. He flashed Elena a menacing grin before whispering in Sarah's ear.

"You want to get back at her. You want her to suffer." Sudden he had Sarah turned around facing Elena, holding Sarah by the shoulders. "Well there's she is," he continued to whisper in her ear and as he spoke, Sarah's face slowly beginning to change.

"Sarah, don't listen to him. He's manipulating you, he's just using you to hurt Stefan," Elena said as she back up to the front door.

"Or is Stefan the one manipulating you? Just like Katherine did," Damon countered. Sarah couldn't stop herself, she rushed forwards and stopped right in front of Elena, her face still in vampire form. Elena gasped and pressed herself against the door. She closed her eyes and waited for Sarah to attack her, but it never came. Slowly she opened her eyes to see Sarah still standing in front of her, her face still in it's monstrous form.

Then Sarah took a step back and her face slowly returned to normal. She glared at Elena, only seeing Katherine, then turned back to Damon.

"What? Not hungry?" Damon taunted her with his usual smug grin. Sarah could feel her whole body shaking. She was angry. Today had brought up memories she'd buried down, deep down, and seeing Elena only reminded her more and more of Katherine and what she had done. It hadn't been hard for Damon to push her into almost hurting Elena, she hated him for doing that. He knew she did but he didn't seem to care.

"Alright. I'm sorry," Damon said after a long silence with Sarah staring at him.

"No. You're not," Sarah said coldly. She then reached past Elena and pulled open the front door.

"Where are you going?" Elena asked.

"To find Vicki," Sarah answered as she walked onto the porch.

"What about, Elena?" Damon asked sudden right beside the girl.

"Do what you want with you," Sarah said coldly as she marched off down the street. Truthfully she would have preferred it if she never saw Katherine's face again. She knew she would though when Damon suddenly appeared at her side. He wouldn't have killed her that quickly, he would have wanted to make her suffer. Sarah didn't say anything as she ran into the forest with Damon behind her, moving in a blur, like another shadow in the night.

The two ran through the forest for a good ten minutes before finally they heard something. A gun shot that echoed through the forest. Sarah looked back to Damon in alarm, he looked to her and then ran off in the direction of the shot. Sarah was right behind him and over took him at the last second as they came into the clearing.

She saw Stefan on the ground and man standing over him with a stake raised, ready to stab him in the chest. Sarah didn't think twice and ran over grabbing the man's wrist before he could stab her brother. Before she knew what was happening her fangs were out and she had her mouth on the man's neck, tearing away at his throat. He tried to fight her off, screaming in pain as she continued to bite into him.

She dragged him away from Stefan as Damon bent over, prying the bullet from his brother's chest while Sarah continued to feed. When she felt him go limp she threw him to the ground and then got a good look at his face. He was the man from the founder's day party. The one Jenna had referred to as her ex-boyfriend.

"It's wood," Damon said, catching Sarah's attention as she turned around to face her brothers. "They know," Damon said as he looked over to Sarah, only to the turn back to Stefan who was squirming on the ground. "My ring," Damon demanded. Stefan cringed but then handed it over, Damon snatched it from his brother, grinning as he slid it back on.

"No! No! Vicki!" Stefan began to shout from the ground looking over in Sarah's direction. She turned around to see Vicki knelt down next to the Jenna's ex, drinking his blood. She stopped, realising what she was doing and looked up to the three Salvatores.

"I'm sorry," Vicki said, taking one last look at the dead body before running off into the forest.

"Vicki, wait!" Sarah shouted after her before looking back to her brothers, Damon in particular.

"Don't kill each other," She snapped and was running off after Vicki before Damon could reply. She chased her into the woods but quickly lost her. She looked all around but there was no trace of her. Sarah then began to sniff the air, trying to catch the scent of the blood on Vicki's lips. She managed to get a whiff, but it was weak. She moved slowly until she got the direction of the scent and then took off running. She had to find Vicki before she hurt someone or worse, exposed all of them.

* * *

Scarlett's uncle had made her comfy in one of the chairs. He'd brought over her pillow and blankets so that she could sleep. He had made her dinner and let her watch whatever she wanted. She didn't understand it. He had never been this nice in his entire life. She had watched him with narrow eyes, as if waiting for him to reveal it was all a cruel joke but he never did.

He was a sleep now laying on the bottom bunk of the two beds at the back of the trailer. Scarlett couldn't sleep. It wasn't because of her uncle's loud snoring, that she had gotten used to. She felt like something was eating her up inside. Like she had to do something but couldn't remember what. It was on the tip of her mental tongue but she could say what it was.

She looked over to her uncle, lying on the bed. She lifted the tray from her lap, the he'd used to put her food on, and got up. She took the knife from the tray after she sat it down and then headed over towards her uncle, taking slow cautious steps.

She knew what she wanted to do, what she had to do. But part of her knew it was wrong. That didn't stop her from doing it though. She came to a stop beside his bed, he didn't even notice her as he continued to snore. She raised the knife above her head, holding it in both hands as she stared down at her uncle.

She wanted this. She wanted to kill him. One good day didn't make up for all the bad ones before it. She took in a deep breath and got ready to bring the knife down when a howl ripped through the forest. Scarlett froze, her head snapping to the door of the trailer. _What was a dog doing all the way out here?_ Scarlett wonder as she walked out the front door, lowering the knife.

Upon stepping out she saw the wild dog approaching the trailer. On sight it froze, baring it's teeth at her. Normal instinct would have told her to go back inside and lock the door, but Scarlett didn't have normal instincts. She smiled at the dog and dropped the knife on the ground.

She bent down low, so her eyes were level with the dog's and slowly made her way over to it. At first the dog seemed surprised, but then went back to baring its teeth as Scarlett approached it. She reached out slowly with the palm of her hand. The dog started to growl as Scarlett reached but she didn't stop. She touched it's face and suddenly it stopped growling. In fact it leaned forwards and licked Scarlett's face in a friendly manor. She laughed.

"Hey there," Scarlett said as she let the dog lick her. She'd always been a dog person, but her uncle had never let her get one. Her parents had once considered it but nothing came to fruition. The dog continued to lick at Scarlett playfully and she sat herself down on the forest floor as he did. She sat for a long time, just playing with the dog while the moon curved above her in the night sky. She felt peaceful, but inside she still had an urge to kill her uncle. And it was growing.


	7. Haunted

_Thanks for all the new favourites and follows you guys! And for those wondering I thought 'Alexandra Daddario' could be Scarlett originally but now I'm not so sure for feel free to suggest actors you think would be good for the part. As for 'sjwman', Sarah is roughly nine months younger than Stefan so that's how they're both seventeen. But her brothers aren't likely to protect her like they do with Elena since she's able to look after herself, plus they know she'll always be there for them..._

* * *

 **Chapter 7: Haunted**

* * *

Running through the woods, Sarah had lost the scent of the blood she was following but could now hear screams coming from the school. She ran into the quiet parking lot, quiet except for Vicki who was on top of Tyler. Part of Sarah wanted to leave Vicki and let her kill Tyler but she knew it would only mean more work in cleaning up the mess.

Instead she appeared behind Vicki before she could sink her fangs into Tyler and pulled her back. She thrashed about trying to get free but Sarah was much stronger than Vicki and easily held her at bay.

"Let go of me!" Vicki snapped as Tyler clambered to his feet. He tried to run but then Damon appeared in front of him making him jump backwards and when he looked back Stefan had appeared between him and Sarah.

"What's going on here, Stefan? What's wrong with her?" Tyler asked in a panic as he looked to Vicki who's eyes were blood red with black veins circling around her eyes. She hissed at Tyler and he took a step back before Damon spoke up.

"You don't talk," Damon said bluntly and Tyler turned to him with fight in his eyes.

"Screw you dude," Tyler snapped.

"Dude? Really? Dude?" Damon exclaimed mockingly as Stefan appeared in between him and Tyler.

"Damon, don't," Stefan said sternly.

"What the hell!" Tyler shouted as he stumbled back, shocked at Stefan's speed.

"Oh come on. Who's gonna miss the idiot," Damon complained.

"Will one of you just compel him already!" Sarah hissed as she held Vicki still. Damon rolled his eyes before then vampire speeding in front of Tyler and locking eyes with him.

"Forget what you saw here tonight. None of us were here," Damon said and then four off them ran off, Sarah dragging Vicki along. They came to a stop in the woods and Sarah threw Vicki over to Stefan who caught her, holding her so that she didn't run off again.

"What are we going to do now?" Sarah snapped.

"Sun's coming up. We can keep her safe in the house until night," Stefan said, holding Vicki as she whimpered quietly.

"And then what?" Sarah asked looking to Stefan who had no answer. She turned to Damon when she heard him starting to walk away. "Where do you think you're going?" she snapped causing Damon to turn around.

"I'm going home," Damon said causally

"No. You turned her, so you have to baby sit her," Sarah said, pointing to Vicki as she glared angrily at her brother. She had no idea what had possessed him to turn Vicki but he'd done it and now they were stuck with a newbie vampire while dealing with everything else that was already going on.

"I would agree with you, if I cared. But I don't, so good luck with that," Damon said before walking off towards the house. Sarah looked back to Stefan who looked at her with concern, she just threw her hands up and then went after Damon.

They all ended up back at the house before sun rise. Damon kept to himself, playing with some old compass he'd found, Sarah would have been more curious if she wasn't still angry at him for turning Vicki. She and Stefan ended up watching Vicki until she accidentally burnt herself in the sun light, at which point they took her up to Stefan's room, closing all the curtains.

Stefan made her call Matt and tell him that she was alive and fine but that she couldn't come home for a while. Naturally Matt didn't respond well to this but Vicki hadn't given him much time to argue as she hung up. She had wanted to leave after that but Stefan had refused.

"I don't understand why I have to stay cooped up here. Why can't I just go home?" Vicki complained form the bed she was sat upon, Sarah sitting beside her while Stefan had pulled up a chair opposite his bed. As for Damon, he was sat at Stefan's desk flipping through a newspaper.

"Because you're changing Vicki, and it's not something you wanna do alone," Stefan said. Stefan had more or less decided he was going to be the bad cop in the training of Vicki, which suited Sarah fine because that meant she got to be good cop. She liked Vicki, but she wasn't sure she was going to make a good vampire. Her preferred choice would have been Scarlett, something about her made Sarah think she'd make a good Vampire. Especially when compared to the drug addict.

"There's nothing about that Logan guy I killed in here. Not a word. Someone's cover it up." Damon said from the desk as he fiddled with a compass in his free hand.

"Who cares?" Sarah mutters from the bed.

"I do," Damon said as he shot a glare at his sister, not that Sarah cared.

"What's that?" Vicki asked, eyeing the compass in Damon's hand.

"This is a very special, very old compass. What was Logan Fell doing with it? Aren't you curious?" Damon asked eyeing his siblings, and almost completely ignoring Vicki.

"Not really," Sarah muttered and Vicki giggled but quickly stopped when she caught Damon's narrowed eyes looking her way.

"If you're so worried that somebody's onto you, why don't you just leave town?" Stefan spoke up as he looked over to Damon.

"We should all be worried," Damon quickly replied as he looked to his brother.

"Hey, um, I'm hungry. Do you have anything to eat?" Vicki asked, her knee bouncing next to Sarah as she sat on the bed. It was common for newly turned vampires to be this way. Always jumpy, always hungry. From the state of Vicki, Sarah guessed it could be at least a month before she got her hunger under control, minimum.

Stefan got out of her chair and reach over to the desk, picking up a cup. He walked over and handed it to Vicki, a dark red liquid floating inside it.

"Here," Stefan said as Vicki took the cup in both hands and looked at it. At first she was excited but then once she got a sniff she grimaced and looked unsure.

"What is it?" Vicki asked as she sniffed again.

"It's what you're craving," Stefan said to which Sarah quickly laughed.

"Don't lie to the girl, Stefan," Sarah said with a mocking smile to her brother before turning Vicki. "That is not what you're craving. It's a substitute, a poor substitute," Sarah explained as Vicki looked uneasily at the cup.

"What is it?" Vicki repeated, now even less enthusiastic to drink what she had before her.

"Yeah Stefan, what is it?" Damon asked mockingly from the desk. "Is it skunk? Saint Bernard? Bambi?"

"Go on. Give it a try," Stefan said, ignoring his brother as he watched Vicki sip at the blood. She still didn't seem to like it. Before she could finish Sarah snatched the cup from her and threw it aside, the animal blood splashing on the floor.

"This is ridicules," Sarah said standing up and squaring off against Stefan while Vicki and Damon watched. "She needs human blood. She can't live on that stuff," Sarah said in a stating the obvious tone.

"Yeah, why can't I have human blood?" Vicki asked, licking her lips at the thought while Damon chuckled to himself from the desk.

"Because it's wrong to pray on innocent people, Vicki," Stefan said, looking past Sarah and to Vicki who was still on the bed.

"It's in our nature, Stefan. It's in your nature," Sarah said, pocking her brother in the chest. He just glared back at her.

"And besides," Sarah said as she turned back to Vicki. "There's an easy way to feed on people and not get caught," Sarah said with a mischievous smile to Vicki who smiled back in return.

"Ah, the old snatch, eat, erase play. Good chose," Damon said with an approving nod to his sister. She didn't acknowledge him, but it was good to know she had his support. Annoyingly she couldn't say the same for her other brother who immediately began to object.

"No, no, no," Stefan said as he pushed Sarah aside so Vicki was looking at him and his serious face. "There's no guarantee that you'll be able to control yourself okay. It takes years to learn that. You could easily kill somebody, and then you have to carry that with you for the rest of your life, which, if I haven't made clear, is eternity," Stefan explained as he tried to get through to her. Sarah and Damon just laughed from the side and Vicki turned to look at them.

"Oh please, Stefan, there isn't a vampire alive that hasn't killed somebody. We all have kill count," Sarah said with a glint of amusement in her eye which made Vicki smile.

"Just try to keep your kills under the radar and you should be fine," Damon said with a wink.

"Hey, look at me," Stefan said, getting Vicki's attention back on him. "Our value and our actions, they define who we are." As Stefan finished speaking Damon closed the paper and folded it before setting it down on the desk.

"Going somewhere?" Sarah asked, narrow suspicious eyes following her brother.

"Just to rub shoulders with the rich and powerful, nothing you should worry about," Damon replies casually as he waved back to her, indicating for her to leave it. Then he left and Vicki let out a sigh.

"What's up?" Stefan asked.

"I'm still hungry," Vicki groaned like a whining child.

"I'll go out and get you someone to feed on," Sarah said with a grin, just waiting for Stefan's reaction.

"No!" Stefan snapped. Sarah was about to leave when she heard talking from down stairs. She focused and quickly released that it was Elena and Damon talking. She looked over to Stefan, seeing he too had heard Elena's entrance.

"Looks like we don't have to go out after all," Sarah said with a sly smile to Stefan. It took him a minute but then his eyes widened, realising what Sarah was implying.

"Sarah don't-" But she was already down the stairs before he could finish his sentence. The next second she was stood in front of Elena who jumped at Sarah's sudden appearance.

"Hello, Elena," Sarah said with folded arms and a grin of amusement.

"H-Hi Sarah," Elena said a little shakily. "Is Stefan around?" As Elena finished her question Sarah felt her brother's presence behind her and she looked over her shoulder to see him behind her. She then turned back to Elena with a thin smile.

"He's here," Sarah said with the same smile as she stepped aside so Stefan and Elena could speak.

"Where's Vicki?" Elena asked, getting straight to the point.

"She's upstairs," Stefan said, nodding his head towards the nearby staircase.

"What happens now? Because the whole town is out there looking for her," Elena said with panic.

"Now you leave. Let the vampires deal with this," Sarah said as she pushed Elena towards the door only to be pulled away from her by Stefan. He shook his head at her before turning back to Elena who looked a little hurt at the fact Sarah had just tried to push her out.

"We're working with her, but it's gonna take time. She's a very volatile and impulsive personality. She's a drug user. I mean, all that's gonna play in how she responds to this," Stefan explained.

"So, she's a vampire with issues? What am I supposed to do? Because I'm lying to everyone that I care about. What's gonna happen to her?" Elena pressed, not satisfied with the answers Stefan was giving her. By this point Sarah was beginning to get annoyed with Elena constantly question her brohter's every move, especially when he was trying to help.

"How about you stop questioning us and stay out of this," Sarah snapped, Elena turning to her with a angry frown.

"Stay out of it? How am I supposed to stay out of it? You turned my ex-boyfriend's sister into a vampire," Elena snapped back.

"Unless your here to offer us a snack, I suggest you leave," Sarah said in a threatening manner. "No telling how long Vicki will be able to stop herself from ripping out your throat," Sarah said with a devilish smirk.

"What's your problem with me?"

"I don't have a problem with you."

"Really? Then why did you leave me with Damon the other night when he was threatening to kill me?" Elena asked, Stefan's head snapping to Sarah.

"What?" Stefan exclaimed.

"He was never going to kill you. He just wanted his ring back," Sarah said, ignoring Stefan's glare.

"You couldn't possible know that!" Elena shouted angrily back at Sarah.

"Of course I knew. He's my brother!" Sarah shouted back.

"Will you guys keep it down!" Vicki shouted from the stairs, her hands covering her ears and looking as if she was in pain. She most likely was considering her newly enhanced senses. They'd probably just started to kick in about now.

"Sorry, Vicki," Elena said, looking up to the stairs where the girl stood. "How are you?" she added, putting on a sympathetic face for her.

"How am I? You're kidding, right?" Vicki groaned as she walked down the stairs.

"Come on, let's get you something to drink," Stefan said taking Vicki's hand.

"Blood?" Vicki said hopefully.

"No. Coffee," Stefan said with a thin smile as he lead Vicki towards the kitchen, Sarah and Elena following them. Once in the kitchen, Vicki sat on one side of the table with Sarah at her side and Elena opposite the Salvatore sister while Stefan made some coffee. When he handed over the cup he sat down next to Elena and opposite Vicki, watching her slowly sip at her coffee.

"Coffee is our friend. It's the caffeine. It circulates through our veins, and it warns our body so we're not so cold to the touch," Stefan explained from opposite Vicki.

"Well, what if I wanna drink human blood?" Vicki asked.

"You're gonna have to learn to live with that urge, and fight it on a daily basis one day at a time," Stefan said, causing Sarah to roll her eyes. _That's it Stefan, treat blood like a drug. That will get the drug addict not to drink it._ Sarah groaned aloud in her head. What Stefan needed to understand was that for a vampire, blood wasn't a drug. It was like a pregnancy craving that you just had to have. She'd tried explaining this to him countless times but he never understood and always pushed her away.

"Oh god. Don't start with that whole twelve steps thing. School counsellor has been down that road and it doesn't work for me," Vicki groaned, clearly not wanting to here a lecture she'd heard a hundred times already.

"Except we don't need you to quit. We just need you to keep it under control, so that you're not ripping people apart in public," Sarah said jokingly, sharing a laugh with Vicki while the two across from them shared un-amused looks.

"No. You'll be better off if you just quit and stick to animal blood," Stefan said sternly, leaning over the table.

"So you've never tasted human blood?" Vicki asked with a frown. Sarah let out a laugh and earned a glare from Stefan.

"Not in a long time," Stefan answered.

"How long?"

"Years and years. No thanks to her," Stefan said with a look to Sarah. She just smiled and waved back at him before he turned back to Vicki. "I'm not proud of my past behaviour," Stefan said solemnly.

"Does this sketchy feeling ever go away?" Vicki asked suddenly, attention back on her. "It's like I have a massive hangover," she said as she clutched the side of her head. "And this daylight thing is a bitch," she added before standing up. "I need more blood. Where's your bathroom? I have to pee. Why do I have to pee? I thought I was dead," Vicki mumbled as she exited the room.

"I'm going to, uh...I'm gonna get her some more blood," Stefan said, looking to Elena.

"Human?" Sarah spoke up, Stefan and Elena both shot her glares.

"No," Stefan said before looking back to Elena and getting up. "I'll be right back," Stefan said before leaving then Vicki returned.

"False alarm. My body's feeling really funky. It's a good funk, but it's weird," Vicki announced before looking to Sarah who was still seated opposite Elena. "You always feel like this?"

"Every day since the day I turned," Sarah said with a smirk making Vicki smile. Maybe Vicki becoming a vampire wouldn't be so bad. She could be like the sister she never had, once she got the hunger under control.

"Who are you calling?" Elena asked as Vicki brought out her phone.

"Matt," Vicki stated as she continued typing away at her phone.

"Vicki you can't," Elena said getting up.

"Why not?" Vicki snapped with a glare to Elena. Sarah could already see where this was going. But rather than help she decided to just sit and watch the show unfold.

"Because you might hurt him," Elena explained.

"More than you?" Vicki asked with clear attitude.

"What's that supposed to mean," Elena replied angrily. Vicki then reached up, grabbing Elena by the throat, and pushed her back against the wall, choking her as she held her tightly.

"Shut up you perky little bitch!" Vicki snapped as she leaned in against Elena, Sarah still watching from the table. Elena looked over to her but quickly realised that she was going to get no help from Stefan's sister and returned her gaze to Vicki.

"For fifteen years you had my brother whipped. Fifteen years and then you dumped him. You broke his heart and you didn't even care." Elena was unable to reply. "And now, I have the power to make things right. So you can either give my brother what he wants or I can kill you before Stefan gets back," Vicki said as he eyes slowly began to change, her fangs forming and black veins forming around her eyes.

"After all... you are just... one, big, happy meal...aren't you..." Vicki said before hissing, she lunged for Elena's neck, ready to draw blood. One second she was an inch from Elena's neck, the next she was on the floor looking up at Sarah who stood over her.

Vicki quickly got back up to her feet, her face had returned to normal but she was still ready to fight. She went to claw at Sarah only to then feel her back hit the wall as Sarah shoved her back, holding her against the wall by her throat.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Sarah snarled as Vicki groaned in pain, holding onto the hand that held her throat. "Now I know she looks tasty but you're not eating her," Sarah said before letting go of Vicki who gasped for air.

"Now go up stairs and wait for me. If you're good I'll bring you some human blood later," Sarah added, though Vicki hardly seemed to care. She was just mad. She shot Elena a glare before storming out and heading for Stefan's room.

"Thanks," Elena said as Sarah turned around to face her, rubbing her throat which had red finger marks on it.

"It was nothing. Besides, I owed you for last night." Sarah admitted with a shrug.

"It wasn't your fault. Damon was messing with you," Elena said, surprisingly forgiving. The more Sarah got to know her the more she realised how different she was to Katherine.

"Thank you," Sarah said and the two shared a smile.

"You better wait down here until Stefan comes back. I'll keep an eye on Vicki until then," Sarah said as she walked out and headed for Stefan's bedroom.

Before going into Stefan's room Sarah took a detour to her own and pulled out one of her emergency blood bags. She had a small freezer in her room with a couple of blood bags in case she got peckish during the night and she figured it would help to ease the tension off if Vicki had some of what she was actually craving.

When she entered Stefan's bedroom she found Vicki laying on the bed. At the sight of Sarah Vicki's eyes narrowed and she immediately looked away in angry, clearly annoyed that Sarah had stopped her from killing Elena.

"Relax. I come baring gifts," Sarah said, pulling out the blood bag form behind her back. It was half empty but Vicki didn't care, her eyes lit up when she saw the blood.

"Yes!" she shrieked as Sarah threw the bag to her. Vicki caught it and began to suck on the bag, draining the blood. "Mmm. So good," Vicki groaned in pleaser.

"I know right," Sarah said as she joined Vicki on the bed. "Don't worry. I'll make sure you get the good stuff. Just don't tell Stefan," Sarah said with a mischievous smile to Vicki. Once Vicki finished off the bag there was a knock at the door and the two looked over to see Damon in the doorway.

"I see Sarah's smuggling in the good stuff," Damon said, his eyebrows dancing up and down above his eyes.

"She's so cool," Vicki said like a child as she smiled to Sarah.

"I know. She takes after her eldest brother," Damon said as he joined the two girls on the bed, sitting down next to his sister.

"What you say to little field trip?" Damon asked, eyeing Vicki.

"Please," Vicki groaned as she jumped off the bed, ready to get outside after being trapped inside all day.

"You in?" Damon asked, looking to his sister and holding out his hand. Sarah smiled back at him.

"Always," she said as she took his hand and he helped her up off the bed. The three then left the room, heading down the stairs and towards the front door with Vicki bouncing all the way. She was like a dog that was finally allowed to go for its first walk.

"What are you doing?" Stefan asked as he caught them in the hallway.

"She's been cooped up in your room all day. She's not Anne Frank," Damon said as he reach for the door. He was about to open it when Stefan pushed it closed with his hand, leaning against it as he faced Damon.

"Now's not the time for this," Stefan said sternly, though Damon was never going to listen to him. He hadn't done so in the last hundred years, why would he start now.

"If you're gonna teach her. Teach her. Show her what it's all about," Damon replied.

"She could hurt someone."

"I'm not taking her to Disneyland. We're going in the front yard," Damon said as he pulled the door open allowing Vicki and Sarah to exit. "Coming?" Damon asked as he slid out, Stefan right behind him.

"This is a bad idea," Stefan moaned from the back of the group as they made their way down the dark driveway.

"She's a vampire, Stefan, time she found out about the perks," Sarah said with a grin and a glint of mischief in her eye.

"Exactly," Damon said in agreement while Stefan frowned at the two of them.

"What perks?" Vicki asked eagerly.

"Like..." Damon trailed off before speeding behind Vicki. She looked around for him but couldn't find him until he tapped her on the shoulder and she jumped around to face him.

"Whoa! How'd you do that?" Vicki asked with wide excited eyes.

"Like so," Sarah spoke up, Vicki turning to face her. Within a second Sarah had ran over to Damon and kicked his feet out from under him causing him to fall to the ground. Vicki laughed and Damon groaned from the ground, shooting his sister a look of annoyance. Sarah just laughed and smiled smugly down at her brother before looking back to Vicki.

"Go on, Vicki," Sarah said encouragingly as Damon got back up to his feet.

"Yeah, live a little. No pun intended," Damon joked from beside Sarah. The two watched as Vicki ran off, at first she ran at normal speed but then she vanished into the forest as a blur. The Salvatore siblings waited for her to come back but she didn't, and after a moment it became clear she wasn't going to.

"Maybe we shouldn't have started with the speed," Sarah said as she rolled her lips inwards.

"I'm inclined to agree with you on that," Damon said from beside her as he bobbed his head back and forth. All while Stefan shook his head from side to side.

"Come on, we have to find her quickly," Stefan said as he began to walk off in the direction Vicki had gone off in.

"I'll let you two handle that. I've got...somewhere else to be?" Damon said mysteriously, both his siblings eyeing him.

"Like where?" Sarah asked.

"I'll tell you later," Damon said before he vanished.

"Never mind him, we've got to get to Vicki before she hurts someone," Stefan said as he took off into the forest, Sarah quick to follow him. They both had a fair idea of where she was heading. The place everyone headed when they were scared, tired and confused. Home.

* * *

Jeremy threw his phone back and forth in between his hands, trying to find the courage to call Scarlett. He'd wanted to talk to her since she had returned but Jenna had told him to wait, well he'd waited long enough. But now that he was about to do it he had no idea what to say.

"Still haven't called her." Jeremy turned around from his seated position on his bed towards Jenna who stood in his doorway.

"You're the one that told me not to," Jeremy said with light laugh.

"Yeah, but I never thought you'd listen to me," Jenna added as she walked into the room and sat down on the bed next to her nephew. There was a pause as Jeremy looked to his phone and then Jenna spoke again. "So, are you going to call her or what?"

"I will. Just as soon as you leave," Jeremy said turning back to his aunt.

"Alright cowboy, but before I leave..." Jenna then swiped Jeremy's phone from him and hit the call button before throwing the phone back to him. "Catch," Jenna said with a mischievous smile as she jumped of the bed.

"Jenna!" Jeremy yelled, watching his aunt hurry out of the room. He was about to hang up when he heard Scarlett's voice through the speaker.

"Jeremy. Jeremy. Hello?" Scarlett said from the other end of the line.

"Yeah, Scarlett, hi-hi, how's it going?" Jeremy stammered as he held up the phone to his ear, trying his best to ignore Jenna who was grinning by the doorway.

"I'm...I'm alright thanks." Scarlett said, trying her best to be nice.

"Good, good, that's good," Jeremy stammered his eyes darting over to Jenna who mouthed words to him. He wasn't sure what exactly she was saying but he had a vague idea. He chose to grab his pillow and throw it at her, scaring her off.

"Jeremy? You still there?" Scarlett asked after he went silent.

"Yeah, I'm still here."

"Is there a reason to you calling me?"

"Yes. I was...I was wondering if-if-if you'd like to...like to..."

"Jezz, Jeremy, just spit it out," Scarlett said as she started to get irritated by his stammering.

"Want to go to the Halloween carnival at school with me?" Jeremy managed to finally get out. There was a pause before Scarlett answered.

"Sure," She said casually, surprising Jeremy.

"Seriously?" Jeremy replied, almost in shock.

"Yeah. I heard you were out looking for me when I ran away so I kind feel like I owe you one," Scarlett explained, but Jeremy didn't care.

"That's fine with me," Jeremy said excitedly.

"And just to be clear. This is not a date," Scarlett quickly added.

"Alright. So I'll see you there?" Jeremy said, still unsure if what Scarlet had said was real. She'd never agreed to go anywhere with him and he was beginning to think that she hated his guts, though she seemed that way with everyone.

"See ya there," Scarlett replied before hanging up.

"What she say?" Jenna asked having reappeared in the doorway with Jeremy's pillow. His smile told her everything she needed to know.

* * *

Sarah was the first to stop outside of Matt's house with Stefan right behind her. No one had seen them use their speed, or saw them as they approached his front door. The sudden sound of a smashing plate caught their attention. The two vampires looked to one another before ringing the door bell. It was all they could do, without Matt's say they couldn't enter the house which meant if Vicki was feeding on him he was already dead. Sarah let out a quiet relieved sigh when she saw that it was Matt who opened the door.

"Stefan, Sarah, what are you doing here?" Matt asked as he looked at the two Salvatores standing opposite him.

"Is Vicki home?" Stefan asked politely, though he already knew the answer.

"Yeah," Matt answered.

"Can we see her please?" Sarah asked as she locked eye with Matt. She could see he was about to invite her in but he never got the chance as Vicki cut in.

"Don't let them in. I don't want them in here," Vicki shouted from the kitchen. Sarah and Stefan could just make her out through the doorway but they had no chance of getting near her while she was in the house.

"What's going on?" Matt asked as he had moved between his sister and the Salvatores.

"Nothing. I just don't want them in here," Vicki said.

"Just let us in so we can explain everything," Sarah begged, for a moment she saw Matt consider it, but when his eyes moved to Stefan she saw all hope of him letting them in vanish.

"Look, I don't know what's going on but I think you should leave now," Matt said in a brotherly tone.

"Matt..." Stefan begged but it was already over.

"Please, just go. I'll call you guys later," Matt said as he closed the door on them.

"Damn it," Sarah groaned underneath her breath as she and her brother turned to leave. "Now what are we supposed to do?"

"We wait," Stefan answered as he led her across the street. "She has to come out at some point."

* * *

Scarlett spotted Jeremy and Elena enter the Halloween carnival, she was happy to see Jeremy had come dressed in casual cloths and not in a costume. She had done the same and it made her feel more comfortable to see him doing it as well. Once he spotted her, Jeremy said bye to Elena who went over to Matt while Jeremy walked straight towards Scarlett.

"Hi, Scarlett," he said as he approached with his hands in the pockets of his hoodie.

"Hey, Jeremy," Scarlet replied with a thin smile as she bobbed her head.

"So what do you feel like doing?" Jeremy asked nervously as he scratched the back of his neck.

"It's a carnival right? There's got to be something we can do to amuse ourselves," Scarlett said before heading off down the corridor with Jeremy her at her heels. As they walked down the corridor a skeleton suddenly came flying at them from the side. Scarlett let out a girlish scream and jumped backwards into Jeremy who caught her.

"I've never heard you scream like that before," Jeremy joked as Scarlett slapped him across the chest with a grin on her face.

"Don't get used to it. And out of the two of us, I'm the manliest," Scarlett said as she turned to walk away.

"You won't get any argument from me," Jeremy said as he followed Scarlett who laughed with him. She had to admit, she was having a good time which was something she really needed after the last few days she'd had.

* * *

Sarah followed Stefan as he led her through the crowds of partying students. They'd seen Vicki leave with Matt, dressed as a vampire, and had followed them to the school. She couldn't believe how naive Vicki was being by coming here, she'd won't last five minutes in a place like this with all these people at her disposal, like ready meals.

From the looks and sounds of things, she hadn't done anything yet but with each passing second Sarah knew the chance of Vicki losing control grew. Then Stefan suddenly stopped and pointed down the corridor. Sarah followed his gaze and spotted Vicki in her vampire costume, she looked ridiculous.

Sarah then followed her brother as they ran in a blur, he grabbed one arm and Sarah grabbed the other before they lifted Vicki and dragged her away and vamp speed. No one could make them out, all they saw was a blur in the darkness which they could have easily mistaken for a flashing light.

The three vampires raced into an open class room and Stefan shoved Vicki into the room before closing the door behind him. Vicki was startled at first but when she turned and saw Sarah and Stefan she let out a groan of annoyance.

"What, you guys following me now?" Vicki asked rhetorically.

"You didn't really give us much of choice," Stefan snapped back in a serious tone. Vicki went to leave but Sarah remained firm planted in front of the door, blocking her path.

"Let me out of here," Vicki said but neither Sarah nor Stefan budged.

"You shouldn't be here, Vicki. Crowds like this, it make it even harder for you to keep yourself under control," Stefan explained as he leaned towards her.

"I'm fine," Vicki said and Sarah let out disagreeing snort. "I am," Vicki insisted as she turned to Sarah.

"Really?" Sarah asked pulling a near empty blood bag from her leather jacket.

"Sarah, what are you doing?" Stefan said, suddenly very nervous at the sight of the blood.

"If you can drink from this and not drain it dry. I'll let you walk out of here," Sarah said holding out the blood for Vicki to take. She didn't take it though, she only stared at it as her face slowly transforming. Her fangs popped out in her mouth and her eyes became red as she hissed at Sarah. She went to snatch the blood but Sarah was faster and shoved Vicki back before she could even get close. When Vicki looked back up the blood was gone and Sarah and Stefan were glaring back at her.

"We're taking you home," Stefan said as he grabbed Vicki's arm. Sarah opened the door and let Stefan go first while he dragged Vicki behind him, Sarah then followed and the three made their way towards the exit. On their way, Elena spotted them and stepped out in front to speak.

"Oh thank god you found her," Elena said in relief when she saw Vicki in between Stefan and Sarah. Sarah assumed Stefan had been keeping Elena in the loop, 'cause she sure as hell hadn't been.

"Yeah, we're taking her home," Stefan explained as Matt approached them.

"What's going on?" He asked, eyeing Stefan who had a clear grip on Vicki's arm. Stefan's eyes widened like a dear in headlights, he knew what Matt was thinking and so did Vicki. She saw her chance and she took it.

"I told you to quit bothering me," Vicki snapped as she pulled her arm from Stefan's and walked over to her brother's side.

"Vicki," Sarah said in a warning tone through clenched teeth.

"Matt, they won't leave me alone," Vicki said in a innocent voice as she played her brother like a violin.

"You need to back off man," Matt said at Stefan while Sarah received no threat from the football player.

"Matt, it's-it's okay," Elena tried to explain but Matt wasn't having it as he took a menacing step towards Stefan.

"No, it's not okay. What the hell is your problem?" Matt asked angrily.

"Matt..." Sarah started to say but then she noticed that Vicki had vanished from his side. "Stefan, she's gone," Sarah pointed out as she and Elena took off to try and find her. From behind her she heard Stefan pushing Matt but she didn't have time for that, she had to find Vicki before she killed someone.

* * *

Scarlett and Jeremy were laughing when they were suddenly stopped by a tall girl dressed in a vampire costume. Scarlett looked her up and down and frowned at her, not sure what to think of her.

"Hey, Vicki, how's it going?" Jeremy asked with a friendly smile. Vicki didn't respond, just eyed him like jealous girls did with other girl's boyfriends. Scarlett wasn't sure but she felt like Vicki was a threat and stepped out in front of Jeremy in a protective manor.

"I think you should go," Scarlett said. Vicki's eyes moved from Jeremy to Scarlett, she tilted her head and smiled smugly at Scarlett before shoving her off to the side.

"Vicki, what the hell?" Jeremy exclaimed. He went to help Scarlett up but Vicki grabbed him by the arm and pulled him back before locking eyes with him.

"You're coming with me," Vicki ordered and Jeremy suddenly felt the urge to obey her. She led him away as she held tightly onto his arm. Scarlett just watched as she rubbed the back of her head. She didn't understand why Jeremy was acting like that.

Pushing herself up off the ground she followed after them, determined to find out what was going on. As she walked through the crowd, she bumped into Elena who seemed to be in a panic.

"Scarlett. Have you seen Jeremy?" Elena asked.

"Yeah. Some girl named Vicki just abducted him," Scarlett said as she rubbed her head, still feeling pain from when she'd hit the floor.

"What? Which way did they go?" Elena asked in a panic.

"This way," Scarlett said as she led Elena towards the exit. They burst through the fire exit and ended up in the car park with all the yellow buses. At first there was no sign of Vicki or Jeremy, but then they heard Jeremy scream and ran, finding him in between two buses with Vicki holding him against the bus.

"Vicki!" Elena shouted and Vicki turned to her and Scarlett. Scarlett froze in fear as she saw Vicki's face. It was inhuman. She had dark blood red eyes, black veins climbing up to reach her eyes from every angle and sharp animal like fangs in her mouth.

She was unable to move as Vicki came at her and Elena. Elena stepped up, ready to defend them both but Vicki wacked her aside like she was nothing. Hissing, her eyes locked on Scarlett who took a terrified step back with Vicki following her. She grabbed on to Scarlett's arms, pinning them to her side, and was ready to sink her teeth into her neck when Stefan suddenly appeared and threw her towards the bus. Vicki let out another hiss and then vanished underneath the bus just as Sarah appeared.

"Get inside," Stefan ordered.

"What the hell is going on?" Scarlett asked in shock, she jumped when Sarah turned her around to face her.

"Do as we say and get inside. Don't leave until we say," Sarah ordered and Scarlett nodded as Elena grabbed onto her arm. She then led her over to Jeremy and took his arm before leading both of them back into the school.

Looking back Scarlett saw Sarah and Stefan searching underneath the buses. Elena opened the door and pushed Jeremy in before following him. She was pulling Scarlett in after them when Vicki suddenly appeared behind her. She felt Vicki's fangs sink into her neck and she let out a terrified and painful scream.

"Scarlett!" Jeremy shouted as he tried to get pass Elena and help his friend, but Elena held him back knowing he'd die if he got too close to Vicki.

Then Scarlett was released and the teeth clamped around her neck flew back. She just managed to turn around as she fell into Stefan's arms, which had appeared behind her. She looked over to Vicki who standing breathlessly. A wooden stake through her heart. And behind her stood Sarah, an emotionless mask plastered on to her face.

Using both hands Sarah removed the large stake of wood and then threw it aside as Vicki fell backwards into her arms.

"I'm sorry," Sarah whispered into Vicki's ear while the other four watched her lower the vampire to the ground. Vicki's skin had already gone dark grey and had begun to wrinkle. She had stopped breathing and the life had left her eyes. She was dead again.

"Get him out of her," Elena ordered Stefan in reference to Jeremy. He nodded and began taking Jeremy away while taking out his phone. Sarah knew who he was calling, it was Damon.

"Wait here," Sarah told Elena as she locked eyes with her. "I'm going to take Scarlett home."

Sarah didn't wait for Elena's approval of what she was doing or for any questions she might have. She just placed a hand on Scarlett's shoulder and began leading her away from the scene. Someone had to stay to make sure no one found the body, and Elena couldn't wipe Scarlett's memories so it fell to her to stay with the dead Vicki. Whether she liked it or not.

It hadn't taken long to get Scarlett home, since she was going to wipe her memories anyway there was no reason for her not to use her speed.

The world was a blur for Scarlett before it suddenly stopped and she was stood outside her trailer. She turned back to Sarah who locked eyes with her, her pupils dilating as she spoke.

"Forget everything that happened tonight. All you remember is having a good time with Jeremy and then coming home. On your way a wild dog attacked you and bit you. After that you came straight home. Forget everything you saw me and Stefan do," Sarah compelled Scarlett who nodded once Sarah had finished. Then she blinked and Sarah was gone, as was all her memories of the night. She looked to her neck which was still bleeding and grimaced before entering the house. She knew it had been a long night, but she had no idea just how long it had been.


	8. 162 Candles

_Thanks for all the new favourites and follows you guys and for all the reviews, I really appreciate them. Thank you so much!_

 _As for some of the things brought up by 'Isanxd', I'm sorry about the spelling mistakes guys and I'll try to do better. As for when I update, it's whenever I get the chapter done, so some will come quick, others will take longer. Also in the show Damon promised Stefan an eternity of misery but there were times over the centuries when they got along despite this. It's the same for Sarah in this case, she has been trying to get her family back together over the centuries but there have also been times when she didn't. I will go into this in flash backs at some point but only when they're relevant. And when she's being mean to Stefan, that's always been the case, same with Damon. They have good times and bad like every family and they annoy each other like crazy, but they love each other...sort off. And hopefully this chapter will explain how Sarah is starting to get along with Elena despite her resemblance to Katherine._

 _Also just so you know, I have a poll on my profile for who Sarah should date. So if you guys want to go and vote that really help me get an idea of what you guys are looking for in this story. And if you're from the future and this story has finished, come and vote anyway as it's a story per season kinda thing so you're opinion will still be taken into account._

 _Now onto one of my favourite_ _Vampire Diaries episodes feature possibly my favourite character..._

* * *

 **Chapter 8: 162 Candles**

* * *

Sarah and Stefan where sat in the living room, each taking up a sofa as they read their books. They had been causally reading for a good while now and hadn't really talked much. They were both still a little depressed over what happened with Vicki, but it was nothing they hadn't dealt with before and they'd move on soon enough.

A sudden noise, sounding like a bird, caught their attention and they looked up. It was coming form inside the house, but Sarah couldn't see how a bird could have gotten in their house. She looked over to Stefan who was now sat up on his sofa with a frown on his face. He sat his book down and got up, Sarah doing the same.

"Damon?" Stefan called out as he moved into the hallway, Sarah remaining in the living room. A sudden gust of wind from behind caused her to turn around. The window had been opened but she didn't remember opening it.

"Stefan, did you leave the window open?" Sarah asked aloud as she closed it. Turning back she found Stefan re-entering the living room.

"No. I closed it," Stefan answered, still frowning.

"Alright, Damon," Sarah said as she walked over to join Stefan. "Jokes over," Sarah said, her words echoing throughout the room. Out the corner of her eye she spotted a shadow move, she turned but by the time she had it was gone. She gave Stefan a frown before suddenly her feet were kicked out from under her. She hit the ground and then saw Stefan land beside her with a blonde haired woman on top of him.

It was obvious she was a vampire at first glance by the fangs and blood red eyes. However neither Stefan nor Sarah went to attack her. They only frowned in mild confusion at this girl they hadn't seen in so long.

"Lexi?" both Stefan and Sarah said in unison. And just like flicking a light switch the woman's face returned to its normal form and she smiled down at the two of them.

"Hi," Lexi said and then suddenly both Stefan and Sarah were back on their feet, pulled up by Lexi.

"What are you doing here?" Stefan asked in surprise.

"How could you even ask that?" Lexi asked as she hugged her best friend. Sarah smiled at the two before Leix released him and turned on her. "And don't think I'm forgetting about you. Come here," Lexi said as she pulled Sarah into a hug which she happily accepted.

"Hi Lexi," Sarah said before they parted.

"I missed you," Stefan admitted as he and Sarah smiled back at Lexi, one of their oldest and dearest friends. She was practically like another sister to both of them.

"Happy Birthday, Stefan," Lexi replied with a smile.

The three were up all night in Stefan's room, talking about all their old adventures. Some they had all shared together, others had been separate one of flings. They laughed and cried as they retold their stories, all of which they'd heard before, but they still found them funny. After awhile Lexi decided to put on some music but that soon ended when Sarah nearly smashed the stereo because Lexi put the same song on repeat.

"Stop. Stop," Lexi said as Stefan pocked her ribs from the side, trying to get an answer to his question. The two Salvatores had been telling her about their recent deals with vampire hunters and she had let it slip that she'd also ran into one.

"I don't know," Lexi finally snapped as she shoved Stefan away from their position on the bed while Sarah was sitting at the foot, laughing away at the two of them. "Some freak shot at me with wooden bullets and I bailed in under sixty," Lexi explained before then pointing her finger at Stefan. "And why is a news reporter hunting vampires?"

"We don't know who knows about us. That guy did. There could be others," Stefan said before sitting up next to Lexi. "Do me a favour, while you're here, please be careful," Stefan said and Lexi let out a disappointed groan.

"Sometimes I wonder how you put up with him all the time, Sarah," Lexi said before the two laugh.

"It's a challenge. Especially around here," Sarah said with a knowing smile to her Brother, though they'd already told her about Elena. But left out the biggest detail in Sarah's opinion.

"Why stay?" Lexi then said as she hopped off the bed, looking between her two friends. "I'm heading to New York for the weekend. Bon Jovi in the Garden. 'Wanted Dead or alive'," Lexi said pointing to Stefan with both hands as he threw a fist in the air. When Sarah gave her a confused look Lexi elaborated. "It's out theme song. It'll be a blast, you should come with," Lexi said as she turned one of her pointing fingers on Sarah.

"What was our theme song?" Sarah asked with a tilt of the head as she tried to remember.

"'Because we can'?" Lexi said, naming off another Bon Jovi song as she too tried to remember. "Eh. We're over do for a new theme song, we all are. So come on. What's keeping you here?" Lexi said enthusiastically. Sarah just looked to Stefan, she would have loved to get out of Mystic Falls for a bit and spend some time with her brother and friend, but she knew Stefan would never agree to it.

"I told you, her name is Elena,"Stefan said from his bed.

"Please tell me she's better than 'The Bitch'," Lexi said as she looked to Sarah. 'The Bitch' was Sarah and Lexi's code word for Katherine, Lexi knew how much Sarah hated just hearing her name so when she was around everyone had to refer to Katherine as The Bitch.

"Much better personality. Though her looks are something to be desired," Sarah said with a look to Stefan as he rolled his eyes.

"You didn't even know Katherine," Stefan said, Lexi then zipped over and wacked him on the back of the head for using her name. "Ow!" Stefan said as he rubbed the back of his head while Sarah laughed.

"That's cause if I did I'd kick The Bitch's ass. Speaking of, where's Damon?" Lexi asked, noticing the missing Salvatore sibling.

"Inflicting misery somewhere," Stefan said as he got off the bed. "I'll be back soon, you two, try not burn down the house," Stefan said with a finger than swayed between the two grinning women. "See ya," He said and then left the room. It was only once they heard him race off into the forest that Lexi jumped onto the bed opposite Sarah.

"So, what are we doing for his birthday?" Lexi asked excitedly.

"I was thinking you and me go and see Bon Jovi and then call Stefan to tell him what a good time we had," Sarah suggested with a grin as Lexi rolled her eyes.

"Still like to mess with him I see," Lexi said with a light laugh.

"Well it's hard not to when you're not around to keep me in check," Sarah said playfully.

"You're one-hundred and sixty-one years old, the last thing you need is a babysitter," Lexi said before the two laughed. "Now come on, we need to come up with something before Stefan gets back," Lexi said as the two began to brain storm. After an hour of coming up with nothing for Stefan's birthday, they changed the conversation towards Elena and Stefan.

"So you think it's serious?" Lexi asked as she looks at the cards in her hand. At some point during Stefan's party preparation the two had pulled out a deck of cards and started to play Go Fish down in the living room. This was mostly because they didn't have much else to do, since Lexi didn't have a day light ring like the Salvatores that meant she couldn't go out during the day or she'd die.

"Seems like it. Got any twos?" Sarah asked.

"Go Fish," Lexi said and as Sarah took her card Lexi lifted up a blood bag and had a drink from it. It was from Sarah's privet stash, Lexi had brought her own but Sarah had offered it and Lexi was too good a guest to turn it down.

"He's happy," Sarah stated as Lexi looked over her hand. "It's been a while since I've seen him this happy," Sarah admitted.

"Sounds like it might be real to me," Lexi said as she raises her brow. Then in a sudden blur Damon was next to Lexi on the couch opposite Sarah, having snatched the blood bag from her.

"Hello, Lexi. What an unexpected surprise," Damon said smoothly but Lexi just continued to look at her cards.

"Unexpected surprise? I think the wrong brother went back to school," Lexi retorted which caused Sarah to snigger. Damon shot her a glare but she continued to smile which irritated him as he looked back to Lexi.

"How long are you here for?" Damon asked, getting to the point as Lexi stared at her cards.

"Just for Stefan's B-Day," Lexi answered. "Got any fours?" Lexi asked, looking over to Sarah who grinned back.

"Go fish," Sarah said smugly as Lexi took another card from the pile.

"Oh, you mean you didn't come all this way to see me?" Damon asked mockingly to which Lexi snorted.

"That's it, Damon. After a century I finally realize death means nothing without you. Do me," Lexi said as she turned to Damon and then flicking his nose before turning back to Sarah.

"Why are you so mean to me?" Damon asked, pretending to be hurt.

"You're not a nice person," Lexi answered bluntly.

"Because I'm a vampire," Damon stated in his defence and Sarah snorted.

"Yeah, but you're only the bad parts," Sarah said, looking down at her cards when Damon looked over with narrow eyes at his sister.

"You're one to talk, Sis. Sometimes I think you're just like Katherine," Damon said and Sarah lifted her head to look at him with hurt eyes. She didn't get a chance to say anything as suddenly Damon was against the wall, Lexi holding him up by his throat.

"Don't talk to her like that," Lexi snarled defensively as she looked up to Damon as she held him against the wall.

"Sorry," Damon wheezed, struggling to breath.

"I'm older and that means stronger, so you don't want to mess with me," Lexi said as she leaned in.

"Understood," Damon wheezed again, this time it was harder to make out as Lexi tightened her grip around his throat.

"Don't ruin my time with Stefan and Sarah, cause I'll hurt you," Lexi said before leaning over towards his ear as she lowered him. "And you know I can do it," Lexi whispered before pushing him over towards the hallway. She watched him get up and leave before then returned to the couch that Sarah sat on.

"You okay?" Lexi asked as she sat next to her friend.

"Yeah," Sarah mumbled as she began to play with her fingers. Lexi put an end to that though when she grabbed onto both of Sarah's hands.

"He's a dick. Don't listen to him," Lexi said and Sarah put on a brave smile for her.

"Thanks," Sarah said and Lexi smiled back before getting up to her feet.

"Alright, let's pick out our new theme song. Preferably something with the words 'We hate Damon'," Lexi said and Sarah laughed as Lexi pulled her friend up to her feet. The two then retired to the Stefan's bed room where they spent the next few hours listening to loads of songs, trying to find the right on for them but nothing seemed to fit.

When Stefan finally returned they turned off the music and headed down into the living room to continue their previous conversation. However, once again it quickly moved from Stefan's birthday palls to chatter about him and Elena.

"So this Elena girl. She'll come around. I'm sure of it," Lexi said as she pulled her suitcase onto the couch next to her and Sarah while Stefan had taken up the couch opposite them.

"Have they had sex yet?" Lexi asked looking to Sarah who laughed when she saw Stefan's mildly shocked expression.

"Not that I'm aware?" Sarah said with a suspicious look to her brother.

"No," Stefan answered with a smile at the two women opposite him.

"Sex always works. I mean you'll rock her world so hard with your vamp sex, she'll be yours forever,"Lexi said with a laugh as she unlocked her suitcase.

"This isn't about sex or-or compulsion or any of our other tricks," Stefan said as leaned towards Lexi.

"It's about, love," Sarah said with dreamy stare up towards the roof which caused Lexi to laugh while Stefan just nodded along.

"It is. And if she wants to be with me it has to be on her own terms," Stefan continued to explain as he looked to Lexi.

"Wow, that sounded all mature and grownup," Lexi said as she opened the suitcase to reveal several blood bags. She pulled one out and broke it open with a straw before taking a drink. Stefan watched for a moment and Sarah watched him. She took a bag from the suitcase and broke it open, drinking straight out of it before holding it out towards Stefan with a glint of mischief in her eye and a grin.

"Want some?" Sarah asked as Stefan looked at the bag.

"Don't be mean," Lexi said as she pulled Sarah's extended arm back before snatching the bag and putting it back in the suitcase.

"I'm good thanks, Sarah," Stefan said with a thin smile which Sarah smiled back at. He was choosing to take it as a joke because Lexi was here and Sarah knew not to push him too far. It was a long shot but she thought she'd do it all the same, partly for a laugh. She didn't want to ruin her time with Lexi either so she decided not to try it again. She and Stefan had fought before in front of Lexi but it never ended with either of them winning, somehow Lexi always won no matter the argument.

"So? Seriously what are we doing tonight?" Lexi asked, returning the conversation back to its original topic, which was about Stefan's birthday.

"Funny you should ask," Damon said as he sauntered into the room with a grin on his face. No one in the room was particular happy to see him, as three scowling faces turned to greet him.

"Well, I wasn't asking you," Lexi said harshly as Damon walked around behind her and Sarah, leaning down on the back of the sofa they were sitting on.

"There's a party at the grill," Damon continued. "You'll love it. Banquettes, tacky wait staff, all of Stefan's friends," Damon pointed out with a nod over to the other couch that Stefan was sat upon.

"Yeah, I don't want a birthday party," Stefan said eyeing his brother as he always did recently, with suspicion.

"Well, it's not for you. It's a 'party' party. No one's gonna know it's your birthday. Caroline's throwing it," Damon said with a smirk to his brother while the two women watched both brothers, eyes moving between them.

"Damon, stay away from Caroline," Stefan said as he got to his feet.

"We're friends it's cool," Damon said as he shrugged of Stefan's demand. "It's important for the town to see us out and about like normal folk. We need to blend in," Damon said seriously as he looked from Stefan to Sarah who looked back up at him. After a second of looking at his Sister's still hurt eyes, he moved onto the open case of blood in between Lexi and Sarah.

"I prefer mine at ninety-eight point six," Damon said before heading into the hallway and vanishing. With Damon gone Lexi looked to Sarah and then to Stefan with a small smile.

"Let's go," Lexi said, she caught Sarah smiling in agreement out the corner of her eye but Stefan remained stubborn. Sarah then joined Lexi in staring at Stefan, pleading with their eyes while he looked back and forth between the two of them.

"Please," Lexi said as she and Sarah gave puppy dog eyes. He couldn't help but smile and then ultimately agree to his best friend's request. After that Lexi dragged Stefan upstairs to get ready while Sarah remained in the living room. Lexi had tried to get her dressed up but Sarah said she was fine going in her jeans and jacket. After ten minutes of refusing to move Lexi gave up and headed for the shower.

After half an hour to herself the doorbell rang. Sarah had heard the car coming up the driveway and had assumed it was only one person. She put down her book, marking her place, before speeding over to the front door and opening it as Elena went to knock. Sarah smiled as Elena gasped slightly, her fist held up in the air for a few seconds before she slowly lowered it.

"Hello, Elena," Sarah greeted the teenager before stepping aside and gesturing into the house. "Would you like to come in?" Sarah asked, still smiling. She could see the mixture of emotions running through Elena's eyes and she felt a tiny bit sorry for the girl. But she was in there world now, so she had better get used to it.

"Thanks," Elena said as she stepped inside, Sarah closing the door behind her as they walked towards the archway that led into the living room.

"Is Stefan home?" Elena asked as she turned back to Sarah who had folded her arms.

"He's up in his room I think. I'll just go and-" Sarah said but before she could finish she heard Lexi calling to her.

"Alright, Sarah, you don't have to get dressed up but the least you could do is take a..." Lexi stopped in step and speech as she came down the corridor. Her eyes widened when she saw Elena's face and Sarah knew what Lexi was seeing when the blonde's eyes moved to Sarah's.

"Oh my God!" Lexi exclaimed as Elena turned to face the woman who was only dressed in a towel. Lexi's eyes darted back and forth from Elena to Sarah in pure confusion while Elena stared at her with a confused frown.

"How...how... Who?" Lexi stammered, still not sure who to look at as her eyes continued to move.

"Lexi, meet Elena," Sarah quickly stepped in before either Lexi or Elena could speak. "Elena, this is Lexi," Sarah explained but Elena only gave the Salvatore sister a quick glance before looking back to Lexi. Sarah knew exactly what was running through the girl's head as she stared at this naked woman in Stefan's home with only a towel to cover her. Sarah opened her mouth to speak but Elena had already begun to head for the door with Lexi's shocked eyes following her out.

"Elena, wait," Sarah said as she reached for her but Elena pulled her hand away before Sarah could get a good enough grip.

"No, Sarah, it's okay," Elena said as she looked back before practically running out the front door and closing it behind her. _Crap,_ Sarah though as she turned back to Lexi who now had her shocked eyes locked on Sarah's green ones. She didn't say anything for a few seconds before suddenly turning on her bare heels and storming up the stairs towards Stefan's room.

"Lexi, wait!" Sarah shouted as she ran after her. But when she got close enough Lexi started to run at vamp speed leaving Sarah behind. She climbed the first two steps normally before using her vampire speed the rest of the way, only by the time she caught up Lexi was already in Stefan's bedroom.

"What the hell is wrong with you!" Lexi snapped as she stormed across the room with Sarah behind her.

"What are you talking about?" Stefan asked as Lexi stormed over towards his desk. He looked to a wide eyed and worried Sarah and knew something was up. He turned back to Lexi who had pulled up a picture from the desk and turned it to Stefan. It was a picture of Katherine.

"I just met, Elena," Lexi snapped pointing to the picture in disgust. Stefan and Sarah looked to one another before looking to the confused and shocked Lexi. "Someone explain this to me. Now," Lexi demanded and then they told her everything.

When they we were done explaining everything Lexi still didn't seem convinced. Stefan continued to explain it over and over but still Lexi didn't get it as she got dressed. Sarah had gone to get some blood and when she returned Lexi was sat on Stefan's bed applying makeup while Stefan stood next to her still trying to explain it to her.

"You have some serious emotional damage," Lexi remarked when Stefan finished what he was saying.

"No, it's not what you think. She's not Kath-" Stefan was swiftly silenced when Lexi let out a forced cough, noticing Sarah's return. Stefan rolled his eyes before then finishing. "She's not the Bitch."

"Then they're related, cause they could be twins," Lexi said before closing the mirror she was using to help apply her makeup.

"I don't know," Stefan said with a shrug, while Sarah stood at the doorway leaning against the wall with her arms folded.

"You don't know or you didn't find out?" Lexi countered as she leaned over to Stefan.

"No. Maybe. I don't want to know. I have no desire to tie Elena to Kath-the Bitch," Stefan quickly corrected himself before Lexi could silence him. Then he saw her cock a suspicious eyebrow at him and he knew what she was getting at.

"Okay yes, yes the resemblance is what drew me in," Stefan admitted and Lexi nodded in agreement with a small smile. "But that's it. The Bitch and Elena may look the same on the outside but on the inside they are completely different," Stefan explained and Lexi turned her head to Sarah who had been silent for most of the explaining.

"And what about you, what do you have to say about her?" Lexi asked, eyeing the youngest Salvatore with concern. Sarah looked to Lexi then up to Stefan who looked back at her, wanting her honest opinion.

"She's...good... She's kind and nice, nothing like the Bitch. At first I wanted to kill her, I'll admit, but every time I see her she somehow manages to chip away a bit of my hate and replace it with…tolerance," Sarah said with a sincere smile to her brother who smiled back. "And what she and Stefan have is real. So I guess that's why I like her in any form, 'cause she makes him happy," Sarah said as Lexi turned around to Stefan who was still smiling at his sister.

"Is that true?" Lexi asked. Stefan let out a longing sigh before sinking into the chair opposite Lexi while Sarah sat next to the blonde on the bed.

"It is. And honestly, when I'm around her, I...I completely forget what I am," Stefan said and Sarah couldn't help but smile along with Lexi who gasped.

"Oh my God. You're in love with her," Lexi whispered with a joyful smile.

"Yeah. Yeah, I am," Stefan said as he smiled and nodded his head.

"And you're defiantly okay with this?" Lexi asked turning back to Sarah who smiled and nodded to her friend.

"Hold on. Why does her happiness trump mine?" Stefan asked with a joking frown.

"She's your little sister. She'll always come first," Lexi teased before hugging Sarah who gladly hugged her back while Stefan smiled at them.

"Alright, let's go," Lexi said as she pulled away from Sarah and jumped up to her feet. "We've got a party to go to."

"You two go on. I'm going to go and see Elena," Stefan said as he got up along with Sarah.

"Alright, we'll see you there," Sarah said as Stefan walked past her and Lexi and towards the door.

"Sure thing," Stefan said with a smile as he exited the room.

Sarah and Lexi didn't wait long to follow him out, only they headed for the Mystic Grill while Stefan went for Elena's. When they arrived the party was already alive with drinking and dancing teens. Unfortunately the excitement inside Sarah dropped when she saw that Damon was here. She should have guessed he would be considering it was his idea to come here.

Noticing that she'd stopped Lexi wrapped her arm in Sarah's and dragged her on, refusing to let Damon get in the way of their fun. They continued on through the restaurant with Damon walking up to meet them.

"Sarah, Lexi," Damon greeted them with open arms from up ahead. "Where's Stefan?" He asked.

"He's meeting us here," Lexi answered bluntly as she and Sarah approached him.

"Buy you a..." Damon started but then stopped when he realised that Lexi wasn't stopping for him. Sarah would have if Lexi hadn't continued to pull her along after her and over towards the dance floor.

"So we're still mad at Damon then?" Sarah asked as they stopped on the dance floor and Lexi turned to her.

"Definitely," Lexi said in a fiendish tone before beginning to dance along with Sarah. They went for a good while until eventually Stefan joined them, standing awkwardly around them as they danced.

"Okay, I'm going to need a little more foot movement form," Lexi teased as she danced around Stefan with Sarah.

"Yeah, not really interested in making a fool out of myself," Stefan said as he slowly begun to dance.

"Come on, you're not that bad," Lexi argued which caused Sarah to laugh.

"If you say so, Lexi," Sarah teased her brother as she shot him a smirk while he and Lexi smiled along with her.

"Do me a favour. Tell me if you see Damon with his camera phone," Stefan said to Lexi as he started to get going.

"To late, Sarah's already got hers out," Lexi said before pointing and laughing at Sarah as she held up her phone towards Stefan.

One embarrassing recording of Stefan's dancing later, at the three vampires moved onto the pool table. They set the table and Stefan broke, balls shooting all over the table before stopping. The three shouted positively at his shot before highfiving and then continuing on with the game. In the end Stefan won and Lexi lost though she claimed that she let him because it was her birthday.

"Alright, I'm going to get us drinks," Lexi declared before heading over to the bar while Sarah and Stefan lingered by the pool table.

"I assume you saw her come in," Sarah said as she looked over to Stefan who lowered his head.

"Yeah. I saw her," Stefan said as he looked back up. They were referring to Elena who had entered the building sometime ago but she had been avoiding them since she arrived.

"Why don't you talk to her," Sarah suggested.

"I'm giving her space," Stefan said as he leaned on the cue that he had been using.

"Did you tell Lexi that?" Sarah asked as they both looked over to see Lexi heading for Elena with three shot glasses in her hands.

"Even if I did it's not like she'd listen," Stefan said with a smile before the two of them began to listen in on Elena and Lexi's conversation.

"-but makes for a lot of lushy vamps," Sarah heard Lexi say as she started to listen half way into their conversation.

"I've never seen Stefan drink. He always seem so..." Elena said from the table as she tried to think of the word which Sarah already knew.

"Uptight?" Lexi said as if she had read both Elena and Sarah's minds.

"Yeah, but not with you," Elena said with a head nod.

"Well that's the benefit for knowing someone for over a hundred years. You can just be yourself," Lexi said in a friendly tone before downing one of the shots.

"Yeah, he can't be himself with me," Elena point out sadly.

"Well not yet. The first step was him telling you. The rest comes with time," Lexi pointed out, now more serious than funny like she had been a few seconds ago.

"You seem so sure," Elena said as she observed Lexi from her side of the table.

"The love of my life was human. He went through, what I imagine you're going through, denial, anger et cetera. But at the end of the day, love really did conquer all," Lexi said as she looked back into Elena's eyes. Then her eyes suddenly darted down to the shot that was in front of Elena.

"Are you going to drink that?" Lexi asked pointing at the shot.

"Go for it," Elena said with a smile as Lexi took the shot and downed it.

"I'm scared," Elena suddenly admitted which surprised Sarah a bit. But then again Lexi was that kind of person, always willing to listen to anyone's troubles and help them out in any way she could. She was approachable and easy to talk to. Especially when it came to her friends.

"But you're here," Lexi pointed out before she and Elena looked over to Stefan and Sarah. The two quickly began to laugh as they reset the pool table, pretending that they weren't listening in. They knew Lexi knew, she always knew when they were listening in, but Elena seemed to buy it.

"Cause you're crazy for him, I get it okay? I mean what's not to love," Lexi said with a shrug as Elena looked back to her. "Listen. Take it from someone who's been around a long time. When it's real, you can't walk away," Lexi said before downing the last of the three shots which made Elena laugh a little. The vampire winked at the teenager before then getting up and making her way back over to the Salvatores.

"Hey Lexi," Elena called after her and Lexi turned back around to her. "It was really nice meeting you," Elena said and Lexi smiled at her before then returning to Stefan and Sarah by the pool table who had finished resetting the table.

"Where's my drink?" Sarah asked with a grin as Lexi approached her and her brother.

"I drank it, sorry," Lexi said with a laugh before looking to Stefan who was smiling at her.

"Thank you," He said as both he and Sarah smiled at their friend.

"You weren't supposed to be listening," Lexi said before looking to the pool table though her eyes continued to moved towards Stefan embarrassingly. "I was feeling epic, whatever," Lexi said shyly as Stefan's and Sarah's smiles grew. They really did have one of the best friends in the world.

They played another game and then Sarah and Lexi went to get more drinks while Stefan reset the table. Once the Bartender handed over their drinks, the two women looked back over to find Elena had joined Stefan, the two getting along once again. Lexi smiled to herself and looked to Sarah, who she had been expecting to be smiling with her, but was instead looking of towards a booth across the room. Lexi followed her gaze and saw that in the booth was Matt and Caroline, not that she knew their names. When she looked back to Sarah a smirk came across her face.

"Well, I've fixed Stefan's love life, now what should I do about yours," Lexi asked as Sarah turned back to Lexi, having been snapped from her trance.

"Sorry," Sarah said having missed Lexi comment.

"You have a thing for that guy?" Lexi asked nudging her head in the direction of Matt with a grin.

Sarah shrugged. "He's a nice guy. Cute. Probably too good for me."

"No one's too good for you," Lexi said pointedly. "Except maybe me." Sarah laughed at that and Lexi smirked at her.

"But even if I did want to go out with him, I don't have time for a boyfriend. I have two brothers to deal with, I don't need to add a boyfriend to that," Sarah said with a grin to Lexi who raised her glass.

"Benefits of being an only," Lexi said before downing her drink as Sarah laughed. Then Sarah looked back over to see Matt carrying Caroline out. Another life perhaps, but Caroline deserved someone like Matt a lot more than Sarah did. And after everything she and Damon had put the poor girl through, she was more than happy to let her have him. Besides, like she'd told Lexi, she had two brothers to look out for, last thing she wanted was to have a boyfriend.

"I think I'll go and bug Stefan. See you in a bit," Sarah said suddenly as she pushed off the bar and headed over to meet her brother.

"Everything alright?" Stefan asked as he saw his sister approach without Lexi.

"Yeah. I'm good. Just coming over to see how Elena's doing," Sarah said as she smiled towards Elena.

"I'm good thanks, Sarah," Elena said as she hugged Sarah before turning to Stefan. "Now maybe you can help me beat your brother," Elena said with narrowed eyes that made Stefan laugh.

"My pleasure," Sarah said as she took the cue Elena handed off to her and instantly potted two balls. Elena and Sarah cheered before highfiving and then laughing as Stefan shook his head at them with a smile on his face.

Once again Stefan won the game and the three then began to wonder around chatting ideally. That was until Elena noticed the Sheriff marching in with two officers behind her, she looked like a woman on a mission. Stefan and Sarah spotted her quick enough and watched as she approached the bar where Damon and Lexi were talking. They all watched as the three police officers surrounded Damon and Lexi, next thing they knew Lexi was being dragged out by the two officers while the Sheriff said something to Damon before following them out.

"Oh my God," Stefan said as he watched his best friend getting dragged out in a daze.

"What is it?" Elena asked as Stefan started towards the front door while Sarah got a good look at Lexi's lazy drugged face.

"She's been hit with vervain," Sarah said aloud as she took off after Stefan with Elena behind her. When Stefan got turned away from the door by two officers he marched back and Sarah and Elena followed him as they headed for the back door.

Luckily the back door wasn't guarded and the three managed to get out unnoticed. But as they opened the door to the outside world the air was filled with the sound of gun shots. Two rang through the air and Stefan and Sarah took off down the alley towards the street with Elena behind them.

They all got to the corner just as Lexi was about to attack the Sheriff. And then it happened, so suddenly and quickly that Sarah didn't quite believe it at first. Damon had stepped out in between Lexi and the Sheriff and pludged a stake straight into her heart.

She blinked to confirm it was real and when her eyes opened Lexi was still staked. She would have ran to her if Stefan hadn't pulled her back into the alley before he pulled Elena close and covered her mouth before she could scream. All three watched in horror from the cover of the corner as Lexi's now permanently dead body dropped back and hit the ground.

Just like with Vicki her skin had turned lifeless grey and thick veins had appeared all over hear body. It was scary how this woman had been so full of life and had been killed so quickly and abruptly. Sarah wanted to rush over, she knew her friend was dead but she still felt the urge to try and save her. She just couldn't accept that one of her closest friends in the whole world was gone.

The three watched as the Sherriff and Damon loaded Lexi into the police car, but none of them dared move. Even after the two returned to the Grill they remained by the corner, still processing what they had just seen. Elena started to cry and Stefan held her close as angry tears fell from his eyes. As for Sarah, she just threw herself against the wall and clenched her fists. She wanted to scream so badly but she just couldn't do it. She felt completely helpless, just like she had when Katherine controlled her. A hand rushed to her mouth to hold back the whimper as tears stared to trail. She suddenly realised that never again would she hear Lexi's voice. She would never hear her correct Stefan about how Katherine was The Bitch. She was gone for ever.

It was only when people stared to come out of the Grill that Stefan finally moved. He gently pushed Elena off him and then began marching down the quiet side of the street with Elena chasing after him. Sarah had to clear her tears and calm her breathing before she followed them. By the time she'd caught up they were already talking.

"Everywhere I've been pain and death follow, Damon follows me. No more," Stefan said, tears still running down his cheeks as he spoke. Sarah knew what he was talking about doing, she also knew that Elena was trying to talk him out of it. Not for Damon's shake or Sarah's, but for Stefan's.

"Stefan, please. Please just-just talk to me. Let me be here for you. Talk to me," Elena pleaded as she held onto Stefan trying to stop him from leaving.

"No. You were right to stay away from me," Stefan said as he left before vanishing into the night. Elena was speechless as she turned back to find Sarah standing behind her.

"You have to stop him," Elena said and Sarah nodded before heading off after him. She would have to morn Lexi later, she had to save her family now. She knew Lexi would understand. She knew about her dream to reunited her family and had helped out where she could. But Sarah was on her own now. She had to save them both from themselves without Lexi's help.

When Sarah arrived back at the house she instantly heard the fight between her brothers that was going on in Stefan's bedroom. She raced up at vamp speed to see Stefan holding Damon against the wall.

"I did this for us. To get them off our trail," Damon said as Stefan held him by his shirt.

"You never do anything for anyone but yourself," Stefan snapped back as he reached for his back pocket. Sarah saw the wood slide out and raced over, grabbing Stefan's stake wielding arm and halting it just before he could piece Damon's heart. She then forced him back across the room causing him to stumble. He did manage to remain on his feet however as Sarah took a stance in between her brothers. A hand raise to each other them to stop them from getting to one other.

"Enough," Sarah said forcefully as she looked to Stefan.

"He deserves to die after what he did to Lexi!" Stefan snapped as he threw his arms up, outraged that his sister stopped him from killing Damon.

"I'm not disagreeing with you. But he's our brother. And you're not going to kill him," Sarah said as calmly as she could while never taking her eyes of Stefan.

"Stefan I-" Damon said from the wall but Sarah turned to him with a sharp finger point and quickly silenced him.

"You don't talk," Sarah snapped before swiftly turning back to Stefan who was the main priority to her right now.

"You can't protect him anymore, Sarah. Not after tonight. He's dead. One way or the other, today or tomorrow, I am going to kill him," Stefan said determinedly as he glared back at his siblings.

"Well then you're gonna have to kill me too. Because I won't let you kill him, Stefan. And then it won't just be me you'll be dealing with in the afterlife, but Lexi as well," she could see from Stefan's lowering stake arm that her words were getting to him.

"This isn't going to bring her back, Stefan. And if there was a way I wouldn't stop until she was back with us. She was me friend too. And she loved all of us...Damon included." Stefan looked to her in disgust at her last remark.

"He killed her," was all he said and Sarah nodded.

"I know. And he will pay for it, I promise you. But we're not going to kill him," Sarah said as she approached her brother cautiously with her hand held out to take the stake from him. It took a moment for Stefan to finally come to a decision. He handed over the stake.

"Go and take a walk," Sarah said and Stefan didn't need to be told twice. He was out the door in a blur and then there was silence in the Salvatore house.

"Sarah-" Damon said as he took a step forwards, the floor board creaking beneath his feet as he did. Then suddenly Sarah spun around on her heel and threw the Stake right into Damon's stomach. He groaned aloud and dropped to his knees as Sarah caught him by the throat. She tilted his head back and glared into his hurt blue eyes with her own furious green ones.

"Understand this," Sarah hissed down at his screwed up face. "The only thing keeping you alive right now is the fact that you are my brother. And nothing that you say or do will ever make me forgive you for what you've done tonight," Sarah said as she pulled the stake form Damon's stomach causing him to once again groan in pain.

"I will find out what you're up to, Damon," Sarah said as she let go of her oldest brother and watched him clutch his stomach as he remained knelt down on the floor beneath her. "And when I do you better hope it was worth killing Lexi for. Because whatever you are doing, if it endangers our family, I will not hesitate in stopping you," Sarah said as she threw the bloody stake down on the floor and marched out, leaving the injured Damon alone in the room.

That night she tried to sleep but with Stefan smashing anything he could get his hands on it wasn't easy. He was even punching holes in the walls and breaking off parts of the house. Luckily it was the parts that Sarah and her brothers hardly used so she probably won't notice in the morning. But then morning was upon her and she still hadn't gotten to sleep. She had been up all night crying in bedroom while she cradled herself.

Eventually in the early hours Stefan entered her room and curled up on the bed with her. Holding her as they both cried. It was going to be hard getting over that night and Sarah knew as bad as she felt now, Stefan was feeling ten times worse. She was just thankful that he hadn't killed Damon, though she would be lying if she said she hadn't for one second wanted him to.

When the tears stopped the two Salvatore siblings remained still on the bed as Stefan held onto his baby sister. She heard the door creek open at one point after the sun raised but it was then quickly shut when she and Stefan looked over. She guessed it was Damon. And somewhere deep down inside of him, she knew he was feeling guilty about what he had done. But she was in no mood to comfort her older brother as she returned to her laid down position on the bed with Stefan holding her.

It was midday before either off them moved and it was only to go and get blood before both returned to bed. Sarah of course was back in bed before Stefan. She just grabbed a blood bag from the freezer in her bedroom while Stefan ran out to the woods to hunt. When he returned he asked if Sarah wanted some company. When she said no, Stefan retired to his own bedroom to morn Lexi just as Sarah did in her own.

When night fell a second time, Sarah finally drifted off to sleep and she dreamt of Lexi. She dreamt of her saying goodbye before having one last huge party along with Stefan and Damon. It was the best send off she could have ever imagined. At one point she awoke to Damon stroking her long black raven hair as he sat next to her on the bed. She had tried to speak but he shushed her and she returned to the Lexi's dreamy farewell party. They all got wasted and laughed and laugh until Sarah awoke in the darkness of her room to find Damon had gone. In his own way, he had tried to ease her pain by allowing her to say goodbye to Lexi. There was still good in him, just like she'd always known.


	9. History Repeating

_Thanks for all the favourites and follows you guys! And don't forget to leave a review if your enjoying the_ _story!_

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 **Chapter 9: History Repeating**

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Sarah walked into the school with her backpack on her shoulder, but she felt like she had the weight of something much heavier on her back. After two days off avoiding School and keeping her brothers from killing each other, Sarah had finally decided it was time for her to get back to her 'normal' life.

She had tried to get Stefan to come with her but he had refused and stubbornly remained in bed. She didn't push that hard. She had come to terms with Lexi's death as had Stefan but that didn't stop him from hating Damon. She was just thankful he wasn't out to kill him anymore, though there was no telling how long that would last.

She walked down the corridor and passed Elena and Caroline who were talking. She didn't really listen, even when Elena called out her name she didn't look back. She was slightly scared to look at Elena, knowing that if she did it would remind her of Katherine and in turn Lexi and her death. She didn't want to break down into tears in the middle of school so she just continued on into the classroom and sat down as the bell rang.

Students filled the classroom, among them was Elena, and they all grabbed a seat. Sarah looked over to Stefan's empty seat wishing he was here with her. She caught a glimpse of Elena doing the same, she tried to make eye contact but Sarah turned back to the front as the new teacher entered.

She was surprised to see him dressed in a leather jacket, almost like her and her fellow brothers. He had stubble around his jaw and lips that had been trimmed down finely and short dark brown hair.

"Good morning everyone," he said as he dumped his bag by his desk and pulled of his jacket to reveal a dark purple shirt. He then got the piece of chalk and wrote on the board 'Alaric Saltzman'. But as he wrote Sarah's eyes narrowed on his hand where she saw a fancy looking ring. It was similar to her own ring in design, silver ring with a black stone in the centre and a silver pattern over the stone. She tilted her head as she stared at it before the teacher turned around and she lost sight of his hand and her thoughts.

"Alaric, Saltzman," the new teacher said as he pointed to each word. "It's a mouthful, I know. Doesn't exactly roll of the tongue," Alaric said as he began to pace back and forth in front of the board. Sarah watched him as he did, trying to catch another look at his ring to see just how much like hers it really was.

"Saltzman is of German origins. My family emigrated here in 1755 to Texas. I, however, was born and raised in Boston. Now the name Alaric belongs to a very dead great-grandfather I will never be able to thank enough. You'll probably want to pronounce 'A-laric' but it's 'Alaric' okay? So, you can call me Rick. I'm your new history teacher," Alaric said with a smile to the class, but Sarah only eyed him with suspicion. Something was defiantly different about this guy.

The class was quick enough and Sarah was out the door first before Elena could get to her. She knew what she would want to talk about and Sarah was in no mood to get in between her and Stefan. She vanished into the school losing Elena who she then found outside talking to Bonnie by the benches during their free period.

She would have gone back inside if she hadn't seen Caroline and Matt talking out the front of the school. Her eyes locked on Matt as he argued with Caroline about something. Part of her wanted to go and just talk to him but she knew it wouldn't end well. She knew too much about Vicki and if she got close to Matt then he'd find out.

"Sarah," she spun on her heels to find Elena was now standing beside her a concerned frown on her face as she stared at the Salvatore sister. "Are you okay?" Elena asked as she continued to watch Sarah.

"Yeah...I'm good," Sarah said as she looked back to see Matt storming off from Caroline. Seeing them separate she turned back to Elena who was still looking concerned. "Seriously, Elena, I'm fine."

"Alright," Elena said half heartedly as she folded her arms. "How's Stefan?"

"He's doing what he does best, brooding," Sarah answered with a shrug.

"He...He...He didn't kill..." Elena couldn't bring herself to say the words.

"No. He didn't kill Damon," Sarah said with a thin smile.

"So, is he coming back to school?" Elena asked hopefully.

"I don't know, Elena. He's...he's in a weird place right now. But just give him time and he'll come back when he's ready," Sarah said as she put a reassuring hand on Elena's shoulder which surprised her. She was actually starting to care for Elena, in a friendly sort of way.

"Alright. Tell him I'm asking for him," Elena said as she pulled away from Sarah.

"I will," Sarah said before Elena returned to the bench she and Bonnie had been sat at. It took her a moment to realise that Stefan was seated on one of the benches further back and Elena was actually heading for him. She would have listened in if she had caught a glimpse of Damon over by the parking lot. She would have to find out later what Stefan and Elena were talking about, though she already had a good idea.

She walked casually over to the parking lot where she found Damon now talking to Bonnie by her car. She got closer before sitting down on a bench and brushing her hair behind her ear as she listened in on their conversation.

"Belive it or not, Bonnie, I wanna protect you. Let me help you get Emily off your back," Damon said and Sarah frowned at the name. She didn't know anyone named Emily, she hadn't met anyone with that name in a long time.

"How do you know about her?" Bonnie asked in shock.

"I know a lot of things, and I know more about that crystal than you do, and I know that she's using it to creep inside of you. See how scared you are? And you should be, because I will get that crystal, even if I have to wait for Emily to give it to me herself. So, next time she comes out to play, you tell her that a deal's a deal," Damon said as he opened Bonnie's car door for her.

Once Bonnie had gotten in the car and left Sarah made her move. Damon knew she was there before he even turned around though, perhaps it was the rush of wind she created when she ran over.

"Can I help you, Sarah?" Damon asked as he turned around with a smug smile.

"What do you want with Bonnie?" Sarah asked as she glared back at her brother, trying to figure out what he was after.

"That's none of your business sister," Damon said as he wiggled his finger back and forth.

"Considering you just killed my friend. I think you owe me one," Sarah said as she took a step towards Damon but he didn't waiver in his stance. He remained silent as Sarah stared at him with her green suspicious eyes.

"Who's Emily?" Sarah asked and Damon smirked back knowingly.

"Tell you what, since I did kill Lexi, I'll remind you," Damon said as he stepped towards his sister with a calculating smile. "Who was there the day we turned," Damon said and Sarah's eyes widened as she said the name.

"Emily."

"Bingo," Damon said with a wink. "See you later," Damon then said before vanishing from in front of Sarah who was still a little shocked that Emily was somehow communicating with Bonnie. _She had died over a century ago so what did Damon want with her now?_ Sarah wondered as she walked back over to the school.

Once the day was over she returned home to where Stefan was getting ready to head out. Sarah dropped her bag by the door and tilted her head when Stefan looked up to meet her gaze.

"Heading out," Sarah asked.

"Elena called. Damon's been following Bonnie," Stefan said as he pulled on his leather jacket.

"I know," Sarah said nodding. "I saw him today. I asked him but he didn't give much. You heading over to Elena's?" Stefan nodded. "Need some company?" Sarah asked and Stefan shrugged as he made his way past her. She rolled her eyes and then followed him out as she pulled on her own leather jacket.

"So what were you and Elena talking about at School today?" Sarah asked as the two vampires made their way down the driveway. Stefan looked to her, obviously thinking he had managed to avoid her while there but now finding he was mistaken.

"I was telling her that I wasn't going to go to school anymore," Stefan answered.

"Wait, seriously?" Sarah asked as she looked at him with a frown. When he said nothing and just continued on she knew he was telling the truth. "Why don't you want to go to school anymore?" Again he said nothing, he was like a man on a mission as he marched towards Elena's house.

"It's Elena isn't it? You don't want her to end up like Lexi," Sarah said but Stefan remained quiet as he continued on. She knew she was right though, she didn't need him to confirm it. She could hardly blame him after they'd seen their closest friend die, she didn't want to lose anyone else either. He was keeping Elena at arm's length because he thought it would protect her from Damon. Although Sarah had a sneaking suspicion that it wouldn't work.

Once they arrived at Elena's house, Stefan rang the bell while Sarah stood behind him, silent as the door to the Gilbert house opened.

"Hey. Thanks for coming. I wouldn't have called if it wasn't important," Elena said before looking back into the house were Bonnie was watching them. When she saw Elena look at her she wondered off into the kitchen and Elena stepped outside to join Stefan and Sarah.

"He threatened her," Elena said in reference to Damon as she turned to face the two Salvatores after closing the front door. She instantly began to pace back and forth on the porch while Stefan stood with his arms folded and Sarah leaned on the railing.

"What would Damon what with Bonnie?" Stefan asked aloud as he lowered his in thought.

"She has this necklace. Caroline got it from Damon, and she gave it to Bonnie, and now Damon wants it back. He's tormenting her," Elena said in clear and deep concern for her best friend.

"Over a necklace?" Stefan said in confusion, but Sarah already had an idea as to why Damon was after it.

"It's not just any necklace. It has to do with Bonnie's heritage. It belonged to one of her ancestors-" Elena began to explained before Sarah chimed in.

"Emily," Sarah said and Stefan looked to her as he remembered the name.

"Katherine's handmaiden," Stefan declared and Sarah nodded as Elena looked to them with confusion.

"She was a witch, and apparently an ancestor of Bonnie," Sarah explained as she pushed off the railing. A look of realisation passed over Elena as she looked to Stefan and Sarah.

"You know? About Bonnie?" Elena asked mostly to Stefan.

"The first night that you invited me over for dinner, I made the connection," Stefan said before Elena looked to Sarah.

"I had my suspicions," Sarah said with a shrug as she answered the same question Elena had asked Stefan.

"And now Damon knows, and for some reason he wants that necklace," Elena said with a sigh.

"What did it look like?" Sarah asked as she and Stefan looked to Elena for additional information.

"It's an antique iron setting with a-" Elena stated before Stefan took over.

"-with an amber crystal. I know it," Stefan said before turning to Sarah. "It belonged to Katherine," he explained which admittedly Sarah didn't know. "Emily gave it to her, which could mean..." Stefan trailed off as he looked back to Elena.

"What?" Elena asked as she frowned at him.

"I don't know, but I'm gonna find out. Let me talk to Damon," Stefan said as he began to walk off the porch.

"I'll come with you," Sarah said as she went to follow him.

"No," Stefan said as she turned around and held up a hand for her to stop. "I'll talk to him. I want you to stay with Elena and Bonnie in case anything happens," Stefan said as he lowered his hand.

"If anything happens, I want to be able to help you," Sarah said as she stepped towards him but Stefan wasn't having it.

"Sarah, please. Just stay with them," Stefan said and grudgingly Sarah nodded. She knew it was for the best, maybe not for her but for Stefan and Bonnie it was the best thing. "I'll be back soon," Stefan said to Elena before he walked off down the street leaving Elena and Sarah on the porch.

"I guess you better come in then," Elena said as she opened the door for Sarah. The two stepped inside and then closed the door before joining Bonnie in the kitchen. Not that long later Caroline showed up and the four began cooking their dinner. Sarah had offered to leave them alone but Elena and Caroline had insisted that she stay, despite the fact that she would have preferred to remain in the shadows alone rather than in the middle of the kitchen with three teenagers

As they all prepared the dinner, Sarah suddenly felt the tension pick up when Bonnie and Caroline glanced at each other. It was then she realised that none of them had really talked since Caroline arrived, not that she minded. She preferred to avoid whatever high school drama was going on between the two. It was only when Elena gave Caroline a look that she finally spoke to Bonnie.

"I'm sorry," Caroline said in as perky a voice as she could muster up. "There. I said it. If you want the ugly-ass necklace, then keep it. It's yours," Caroline said which made Sarah realised that the two fighting teens were on the edge of her supernatural world and they didn't even know it. Yes Bonnie knew she was a witch but she had no idea how much more was out there.

"Will you hate me if I tell you I threw it away?" Bonnie asked with a guilty sigh to her friend.

"You did what?" Sarah and Caroline asked in shock. Elena looked to Sarah who was giving her worried looks and was about to explain when Bonnie beat her to it.

"I know it sounds crazy, but the necklace was giving me nightmares. I had to get rid of it," Bonnie explained, only Elena and Sarah knew what was really going on. It was Emily trying to communicate with Bonnie.

"You could have just given it back to me," Caroline said.

"Why? So you could just give it back to Damon?" Elena cut in.

"Screw Damon!" Caroline snapped angrily before remembering that Sarah was there and looked to her with a guilty face. "I'm sorry...I-I didn't mean..."

"It's fine, Caroline," Sarah said in a reassuring and friendly voice. "Trust me, I'm as mad at him as you are right now," Sarah said as she looked down. A second later she felt Elena rubbing her arm and she looked over to see her offering her friendly smile which Sarah was thankful for. She was the only one in the room that knew what she meant and it was nice of her to comfort her.

"So are we doing manicures or what?" Caroline asked slightly insensitively which caused Elena to roll her eyes.

"Sure, Caroline," Sarah said with a smile which made Elena smile with her as Caroline headed over to retrieve her manicure set from her bag.

"Could you get mine too?" Bonnie asked from the kitchen and Caroline complied without even a grumble. Once she got her own kit out of her bag she moved onto Bonnie's to get her friend's but instead found something else.

"Why are you such a little lair, Bonnie?" Caroline asked accusingly as she turned around towards the kitchen.

"What?" exclaimed Bonnie in hurt.

"Caroline!" Elena added angrily while Sarah just frowned before all their eyes widened when they saw the necklace in Caroline's hand. Though this was Sarah's first time seeing it she knew it was the necklace that Damon was after, the one that had belonged to Katherine.

"I'm not lying to you, Caroline. I swear," Bonnie stammered as she stared at the necklace along with Elena and Sarah.

"It's true. I watched her throw it into a field," Elena added while Sarah just continued to stare at the necklace as Caroline approached the counter and dropped the necklace onto it.

"Then explain it," Caroline said as she looked back to Bonnie.

"Emily," Bonnie said and Elena turned to Sarah and the two shared a knowing look.

"Who's Emily?" Caroline asked as she continued to glare at Bonnie.

"The Ghost," Bonnie said, fear in her voice which Sarah picked up on.

"Oh, the ghost has a name now?" Caroline said mockingly as she swayed her head back and forth.

"Caroline," Sarah said warningly at the blonde fell silent when she caught the vampire's glare. She didn't remember anything about Sarah being a blood sucking monster but some part of her knew not to challenge her.

"I wonder why she won't leave me alone," Bonnie said to Elena and despite Sarah's warning Caroline had still had enough.

"What is going on? Why am I not a part of this conversation?" Caroline blurted out and all three girls turned to face her, almost as if she hadn't even been there.

"You guys do this to me all the time," Caroline exclaimed angrily as she waited for her supposed friends to answer her. Sarah didn't care about this, her priority was Emily and protecting Bonnie from Damon. She stepped back, metaphorically, and let the three fight it out.

"That's not true," Elena replied to Caroline.

"Yes it is," Bonnie countered which shocked Elena as she watched her friend turn to Caroline. "I can't talk to you. You don't listen," Bonnie explained to Caroline.

"That's not true," Caroline declared.

"I'm a witch," Bonnie declared and Sarah's eyes widened. She didn't understand why Bonnie was blurting out her supernatural secret, she could only imagine how Caroline was going to take this as she watched the blonde haired teen respond.

"And don't we all know it," Caroline said mockingly and Sarah sighed with relief. The last thing she needed was a gossip going around town telling everyone a witch was living in Mystic Falls. And witch was only one step away from vampire.

"See?" Bonnie exclaimed. "That's what I'm talking about. I'm trying to tell you something. You don't even hear it," Bonnie said in a hurt tone as she stormed off into the living room.

"I listen," Caroline declared when she turned back to Elena and Sarah. "When do I not listen?" Caroline asked and Elena and Sarah looked to each other before looking back to Caroline and smiling politely. In return Caroline began to pout, she knew they were right and that she was being rude to her friend.

"Go and apologize," Elena said with a nod towards the living room.

"But-" Caroline began but almost instantly stopped when Elena shot her a glare. Caroline knew she was right and turned on her heels with a lowered head as she made her way slowly into the living room. Once she was gone Sarah swiftly pulled Elena back around to face her.

"What are we going to do about that?" Sarah asked in a hiss pointing to the necklace that was on the table.

"I don't know. Somehow I think it'll just end up back with Bonnie," Elena said as she ran a hand over her face as she groaned in frustration. "Let's just stick to the plan until Stefan comes back," Elena suggested as she looked to Sarah who didn't look too convinced.

"And if Damon gets back before him?" Sarah asked.

"That's why your here," Elena said with a brave smile as she patted Sarah on the arm of her leather jacket and moved over to listen in on Bonnie and Caroline. Sarah didn't follow her, instead she looked to the table with the necklace. She considered taking it and running, but she knew it would return to Bonnie somehow. Elena was right, sticking with Bonnie for now was the best way to stop Damon from whatever he was doing.

"Elena, Sarah, you can come in now. We're done," Caroline called into the kitchen and Sarah looked over to see Elena gesturing for her to follow her into the living room. Sarah smiled back and followed, bringing the necklace with her. She needed to know where it was in order to keep it from Damon.

Entering the living room, Sarah found Bonnie and Caroline on the sofa with Elena on the arm. As she entered, she held out the necklace for Bonnie to take. She hesitated but when Caroline nudged her Bonnie took the necklace and Sarah offered her a friendly smile. The vampire then sat on the arm of the couch next to Bonnie and smiled over to Elena who seemed almost proud of her in a sense.

"There is just way too much drama in this room," Caroline declared in an upbeat tone, clearly trying to change the mood. "So, what do you guys wanna do?" Caroline asked, she looked to each of the three faces in the room and when no one answered she answered herself.

"I have an idea," Caroline said as she stood up. "Why don't we have a séance?"

"I don't think that's a good idea," Bonnie said with a shaky voice as Elena shock her head in disagreement. But Sarah seemed to see Caroline's idea in a different light.

"Actually, I agree with Caroline," Sarah said and Elena and Bonnie turned to look at her with frowns. "Well, maybe if we talk to her, we can find out what she wants with you," Sarah said to Bonnie with a shrug which seemed to sway the two teenagers.

"Come on. Let's summon some spirits," Caroline said, suddenly very eager to participate in the supernatural. "This Emily chick has some serious explaining to do." It didn't take the four women long to get up into Elena's bedroom, turn off the lights and set up five candles in centre of the dark room. When three out of the four girls sat down on the floor Caroline looked over to Sarah who stood against the door with her arms folded.

"You're not joining in?" Caroline asked with a frown which Elena and Bonnie shared.

"My connection isn't as strong as you three. You've been best friends for a long time and stuff like this requires strong bonds, if I join in it will taint your bond in a way. Plus there's the whole power of three thing, if you add a fourth it will make it hard to contact her," Sarah explained as the three faces staring at her went from smiling at her complement to frowning at her explanation.

"Is that really a thing? The power of three?" Caroline asked.

"It is," Sarah said with a smile to the naive girl. "Don't worry. I'll be right here if anything happens," Sarah said reassuringly, but only Elena understood what she really meant. Then the room went quiet as the three girls joined hands tried to focus, it didn't take long for Bonnie to let out a sigh and open her eyes.

"What are we doing?" Bonnie asked and Elena and Caroline join her in opening their eyes.

"I don't know." Elena chimed in.

"Be quiet and concentrate," Caroline ordered, it was surprising how serious she was taking it considering no more than ten minutes ago she didn't even believe Bonnie was a witch.

"Close your eyes. Now take a deep breath." Caroline said and her friends did as told while Sarah watched quietly from the shadow that was cast over the door. "Call to her," Caroline said with her eyes closed.

"Emily, you there?" Bonnie said in an uncommitted voice which cause Caroline to open her eyes and glare at Bonnie.

"Really? 'Emily, you there?'" Caroline mimicked in a mocking tone similar to Bonnie's. "That's all you got? Come on," Caroline said, trying to get Bonnie to take it as seriously as her.

"Fine, geez," Bonnie groaned before they closed their eyes and tried again. "Emily. I call on you. I know you have a message. I'm here to listen," Bonnie said in a serious tone and Sarah knew what was coming before it even happened. The three girls on the floor all jumped back when the flames of the candles in between them sudden shot up in a burst of strength before settling down again.

"Did that just?" Elena asked as she stared down at the candles.

"Yeah, it just happened," Caroline said, equally as shocked. It didn't take long for a breeze to pass through and even in her leather jacket Sarah still felt it. As she rubbed her own arms for warmth, Caroline did the same and the three teens shared worried looks.

"It's just the air conditioning," Bonnie stammered quickly as the candles' flames grew once again. It was Emily, she was here. Sarah pushed off the door and dropped her arms to her side with clenched fists, ready for whatever Emily was about to do. Something told her that after being dead for over one-hundred and fifty years the witch wouldn't be in the friendliest of moods.

"Ask her to show you a sign," Caroline said to Bonnie who looked back with trembling eyes. The dark skinned girl just shook her head and who could blame her. "Ask her," Caroline repeated and Elena joined in on the head shaking, even Sarah was starting to think maybe this wasn't her best idea.

"Emily, if you're among us, show us another sign," Caroline said aloud and for a while nothing happened. All four of them stared at the candles, waiting for Emily's next sign.

"See? It's not working," Bonnie said with a shaking voice, but Sarah knew better. It was then that the windows suddenly flew open by a sudden gust of wind. Sarah moved quickly at human speed over to the window as started to close the double window as the three girls jumped up to their feet.

"I can't, I'm done," Bonnie shouted as she grabbed the necklace around her neck and threw it down towards the candles which instantly blew out engulfing the room in darkness.

"Get the lights!" Bonnie shouted frantically and before she could ask again Sarah raced over at supernatural speed and switched the lights on. They were all still here and all still alive which was good enough for Sarah who sighed in relief along with the others.

"You guys, the necklace. It's gone," Bonnie said and all eyes moved to the floor where the candles were. Bonnie was right, the necklace was gone. Sarah eyes widened as she looked to Elena who looked back, both wondering the same thing, _had Damon just stolen it? No, if he had Sarah would have known. Somehow she would have heard or seen him take it._ That meant only one thing. It had to have been Emily.

"Okay, fun's over, Caroline. You made your point, and I get it. Now give it back," Elena said as the four formed a circle in the middle of the room.

"What? I didn't take it," Caroline said, clearly as confused as the rest of them. It was at that moment Elena saw a shadow move from in the hallway. Sarah followed her gaze but by the time she turned around there was nothing there.

"What'd you see?" Sarah asked turning back around to Elena with concern.

"I don't know. Nothing. Jeremy, are you home?" Elena called out into the hallway as she stepped forwards only to be stopped by Sarah. The vampire gave her a warning look and then processed into the empty hallway first. If it was Damon sneaking around the house she didn't want him taking Elena before she could find him.

"Guys..." Bonnie said from back in the room and Sarah turned back before following Elena back in to see Bonnie walking into the bathroom. The teenager bent down and when she turned around she had the necklace in her hand. Then the door suddenly slammed shut and Bonnie was trapped in the bathroom.

"Bonnie!" the three women stared to scream as they began pounding on the door. From the other side all they could hear was Bonnie's screams as the lights around the house began to flicker on and off.

"Bonnie! Bonnie open the door!" Elena shouted as she, Sarah and Caroline continued to pound on the door.

"Get back!" Sarah ordered, pulling the two girls back with her superior strength before grabbing hold of the doorframe. Once she found her balance she lifted her foot and kicked the door with her supernatural strength. The thing didn't even budge. Sarah kicked again and then again but still nothing happened. The lights stopped flicker and Bonnie fell silent as Sarah kicked again the door flying open and swinging back into Sarah who caught the door with her hand. She pushed it open again and stepped in with Elena and Caroline behind her, all three looked to Bonnie who stood still with her head in her hands.

"What happened? Are you okay?" Elena asked quickly as Bonnie lowered her hands and looked up.

"I'm fine," Bonnie answered in a calm tone which shocked the three women opposite her.

"Unbelievable. You were totally faking it," Caroline said in outrage as she turned and marched out the room.

"Caroline, come on," Elena said as she followed Caroline out while Sarah remained in the bathroom with Bonnie. Staring at her while the dark skinned girl stared back with a blank expression.

"Bonnie?" Sarah asked as she stepped forwards.

"I'm fine. Everything is fine," Bonnie said as she walked past Sarah and out the room. Sarah followed the girl out, still staring at her in confusion as she made her way towards the stairs.

"I can't believe I fell for it," Caroline moaned as she and Elena followed Sarah out the bedroom and after Bonnie who was already halfway down the stairs.

"Bonnie, are you okay?" Elena called after her friend.

"I must go," Bonnie said without looking back.

"She's leaving, I'm leaving," Caroline declared from the top of the stairs with Elena while Sarah followed Bonnie down the stairs.

"You guys can't leave," Elena said, desperate to keep her friends together and safe.

"Emily," Sarah announced and Bonnie froze as she reached for the front door. Her head snapped back to Sarah who was stood on the bottom step, face stern as she got ready to charge at Emily.

"I won't let him have it. It must be destroyed," Emily declared from inside Bonnie's body.

"Oh my God," Elena gasped from the top of the stairs next to Caroline as she looked down at her possessed friend.

"You'll thank me for this, Sarah," Emily declared.

"Where are you going?" Sarah asked as she stepped of the stairs and onto the floor.

"To where it all began," Emily said as she turned back towards the door.

"Not before you tell me what's going on," Sarah said as she reached forwards for Emily. But the witch spun around and threw up her hand towards Sarah's chest. The vampire was sent flying back and into the kitchen where she slammed into the island. When she looked back up Emily was out the door and Elena was trying to pull it open with Caroline rushing into the kitchen to help Sarah up.

"What's happening?" Caroline shouted in confusion as Sarah lead her back towards the front door that Elena couldn't seem to open.

"What's wrong?" Sarah asked, ignoring Caroline as she looked to Elena.

"I don't know. The door, it's not-" Elena said as she pulled at the door only for it to be suddenly opened by Jeremy. Elena and Caroline screamed as they jumped back and Sarah had to fight the urge to bare her fangs at what she had expected to be a threat.

"What the hell?" Jeremy asked in confusion as he walked in. Quickly he decided it wasn't worth his time and made his way up to his room while Caroline stormed out the door.

"I'm outta here," Caroline declared and was gone before Elena could stop her.

"What do we do?" Elena said in a panic as she looked to Sarah for answers.

"Call Stefan," Sarah ordered, the needed to keep him in the loop. Elena did as told and after a few rings Stefan answered.

"What's wrong?" Stefan asked upon answering.

"It's Bonnie. Emily is possessing her. She said something," Elena said down the line while Sarah listened in with her enhanced hearing.

"What did she say?" Stefan asked Elena but Sarah was the one to answer, knowing that her brother would hear her.

"She said 'I won't let him have it. It must be destroyed. You'll thank me for this.' And then she left. I think she's going to destroy the crystal," Sarah explained aloud from beside Elena.

"Where do you think she went?" Stefan asked from down the phone, clearly having heard Sarah.

"I don't know," Elena said before pausing to think, then suddenly she had an answer. "Fell's church, by the old cemetery that's where she took Bonnie in her dreams." Elena explained as she looked to Sarah who nodded back before taking off towards the church at vamp speed. She knew where it was. It was the final resting place of Katherine.

When she arrived at the remains of the long dead church, Stefan was already there helping Damon off a branch he'd been impaled on. He let out painful groans as Stefan dropped him to the ground where he muttered something beneath his breath.

"What happened?" Sarah asked as she stopped at Stefan's side as they both stood over Damon.

"Emily happened," Damon groaned as he pushed himself up to his feet.

"Stefan. Sarah. You're all here," Emily said in Bonnie's voice from behind and the three Salvatores turned to see her standing in the centre of a star she had made on the ground. They all knew it had something to do with magic and all remained still as they looked ahead to Emily.

"Hello, Emily," Stefan greeted her in return.

"These people don't deserve this. They should never have to know such evil," Emily said and Sarah frowned before looking to Stefan.

"What's she talking about?" Sarah asked her brother as their forest green eyes met. Stefan was quiet, hesitate to answer in fear of how his sister would react.

"I told you Sarah. You'll thank me for this," Emily said from inside her seal.

"What's going on?" Sarah demanded as she turned back to Stefan who closed his eyes. He had been hoping to keep this from Sarah, to spare her from the pain.

"He... He wants to bring back Katherine," Stefan said as he finally looked back to Sarah's eyes.

"What?" The word escaped Sarah's lips as an astonished whisper before she looked over to Damon who avoided her gaze as he held a hand over his blood stained shirt.

"You what?" Sarah shouted as she turned fully towards Damon with a glare of pure rage.

"Listen to me, Sarah-" Damon started but Sarah was already on him. She shoved him back against the tree truck, holding him down with her arm against his throat.

"Why would you bring her back!" Sarah shouted into his face, Damon had to close his eyes to get away from Sarah's intense glare. "After everything she put us through, why would you bring her back!"

"Because I love her!" Damon finally shouted back and Sarah didn't think twice as she knocked him to the ground with a punch across the face.

"And I hate her!" Sarah shouted as Damon looked up at her from the ground. "She took everything from us! She turned us against each other! And all for her damn amusement!" Sarah shouted as she began to kick Damon, angry hot tears trailing down her checks. She managed to get a few good kicks in his chest before Stefan grabbed her from behind and pulled her away a meter or so.

"Sarah! Sarah, stop!" Stefan shouted as Sarah broke free and turned to face him so that he could now see her watery forest green eyes.

"Why should I? He killed Lexi. He's tortured us. And this whole time it's been all for that Bitch!" Sarah shouted angrily as she threw herself into Stefan who caught her and held her close.

"It's alright, Sarah. I won't unleash them into this world," Emily said as Damon got back up to his face.

"Them?" Sarah asked in a whisper as she turned around with Stefan to face Emily and Damon who was glaring at the possessed witch angrily.

"What do you mean, them?" Stefan asked as he continued to hold Sarah with one arm.

"To save her, I had to save them," Emily said and instantly it clicked in both Stefan and Sarah's heads.

"You saved everyone in the church?" Stefan said as he stepped out in front of Sarah towards Damon.

"With one comes all," Emily explained as she and Sarah watched the two brothers face off against each other.

"I don't care about them. I just want Katherine," Damon said as he looked to Emily with pleading eyes. Sarah screamed out in anger and frustration as she dashed forwards only to be pulled to a halt by Stefan.

"Damon, don't! Don't you dare!" Sarah screamed as tears continued to run while Stefan held her back.

"Stay out of it, Sarah!" Damon snapped angrily and Sarah let out another whimper as her eldest brother turned to Emily. "Please. I kept my promise. I did everything in my power to save your family. If you do this they'll all die with me. Trust me," Damon pleaded but Emily didn't sway.

"I can't free them. I won't," Emily said as she looked to the sky. "Incendia!" Emily chanted aloud and the seal she stood in the centre of caught a light. Quickly Stefan pulled his little sister back from the flames but Damon remained right up against them with angry eyes on Emily.

"No!" Damon shouted as Elena came running out into view from the woods.

"Bonnie!" Elena shouted as Stefan ran over to stop her while Sarah watched Emily throw the necklace into the air. She watched as it exploded into flames that flew down around them before all the fire in the area vanished. At the same moment Bonnie's eyes opened and from her confused look Sarah knew that Emily had left her body.

Everyone froze as they stared at Bonnie, processing what had just happened. Sarah would have smiled if she could move, but she was stuck in her stunned facial expression. _At least Katherine was now locked away forever,_ Sarah thought positively.

Then Damon broke from the trance and marched forwards and over to a startled Bonnie. Not thinking twice he pulled her head to the side and dug his fangs into her neck, ripping her open as if she were nothing but a helpless little girl.

Sarah was the first to move. She ran and full speed and grabbed onto Damon before throwing him back. While Stefan rushed to Bonnie as she fell to the ground, Sarah ran forwards and pushed Damon back again before holding him back at arm's length with her palm on his chest.

Looking back over when she released Damon wasn't going to go for Bonnie again, she saw Stefan searching for Bonnie's pulse. She watched as Elena shot Damon a dirty look before looking back to her friend who lay on the ground.

"She's alive, but barely. I can save her," Stefan said aloud before biting into his wrist and putting it to Bonnie's mouth. His blood dribbled through her mouth and into her body as she struggled on the ground, clearly not found of the taste of blood. Once he was done he pulled his wrist back, which had already healed over and Bonnie gasped as Elena knelt down next to her. Sarah knew what was going to happen, she and her brother had used their magical blood on people before.

"Her neck, it's healing," Elena announced as she watched the gruesome bite mark on Bonnie's neck heal over. Sarah had seen it all before so instead she looked over her shoulder to see Damon stomping off into the woods. She turned back to Stefan who was up on his feet now and the two then followed him off to a secluded area while Elena stayed with the now healed Bonnie. When the two siblings found their older brother he was sat on a tree stump looking off into the distance.

"Katherine never compelled me. I knew everything," Damon said as he broke the silence that surrounded the Salvatore siblings. "Every step of the way. It was real for me," Damon admitted, still not looking over to his brother or sister who stood at his side. There was another silence as Sarah stared at her brother, she had stopped crying now but could still feel the stinging stains on her cheeks that had been left behind.

"I'll leave now," Damon said finally.

"What?" Sarah said in surprise as Damon finally turned to lock eyes with her.

"There's nothing for me here anymore," Damon said as hurt filled Sarah eyes.

"There's us, your family," Sarah said but Damon remained silent as he got to his feet and turned to face his younger siblings.

"We're not a family, Sarah. We're three people who grew up together and have been destroying each other's lives for the past century and a half," Damon answered coldly which made Sarah feel even worse.

"But we can fix that. We can be a family now. Now that Katherine is done with we can finally move on," Sarah said with a hopeful smile which Damon didn't share.

"No," Damon said in a quiet whisper.

"Yes we can. Right, Stefan?" Sarah asked as she turned to her other brother who looked away silently. "Right?" Sarah asked in a worried tone. Stefan moved his head about but continued to avoid Sarah's gaze until finally he spoke.

"I'm...I'm not staying," Stefan said finally and Sarah let out a silent gasp as her lips parted. "I'm going to tell Elena after this and then I'll leave in the morning," Stefan explained as he looked up to his sister's matching eyes.

"Then... Then we can all leave. Together," Sarah stammered as she looked back and forth between her brothers, neither of whom seemed convinced about the idea.

"No, Sarah," her oldest brother said with a shake of his head.

"No good comes out of us being together," Stefan added as new tears filled Sarah's eyes. She couldn't believe it. After all this time and effort she was losing them again. She had really thought this time would be different she'd really thought they could all end up together again. From beneath her knees began to shake, then her whole body began to tremble as tears rolled out her eyes once again that night.

"Please... Don't do this..." Sarah said quietly, not looking at either off her brothers. There was a long moment were nothing was said until Damon took a step backwards, away from his siblings. Sarah's head shot towards him but then did an immediate one-eighty towards Stefan when she heard him step away as well.

"Sorry, Sarah," Stefan said quietly as he held back his own tears.

"It's for the best," Damon said as she turned to face him and his cold blue eyes. "You're better off without us anyway. You said so yourself, remember?" Damon said with a weak smile as he kept stepping backwards. She did remember, but that hadn't been her at the time, she was a different person then.

"It's not true," Sarah said with a shaky voice before her head began to move between her two brothers, her raven hair flying all over as it kept changing direction.

"Please. Please don't leave. Stefan. Damon," Sarah pleaded as her brother got further and further apart and the gap between all three of them increased. "I'll stop you. I won't let you leave. I'll lock you both up if I have to," Sarah began to say but she made no move to back up her words as more tears came flooding out.

"You can't stop both of us," Damon said from one side.

"Even if you catch one of us, the other will still leave," Stefan added from the other side.

"And you still won't have your family back," Damon finished as Sarah continued to look back and forth. Each time her head moved more tears flew from her eyes. She couldn't do it, she couldn't chose between her brothers and they knew it. They had her in a stalemate.

In that moment she wanted nothing more than to throw her switch off to make the pain stop but she knew she couldn't. Lexi had made sure off it and for good reason but in that moment Sarah didn't care, she just wanted the pain to stop.

"Don't leave me!" Sarah suddenly shrieked and both brothers turned from her, their backs now on her as they headed off in opposite directions. Sarah's knees gave out and she collapsed to the ground, landing on all fours as her chest began to heave up and down. She closed her eyes, hoping it was all a nightmare and that she'd wake up at home to find it was Damon playing some cruel trick on her. But it was all real. Her brothers were really leaving her again.

When she looked up they were both gone and she was along in the dark forest, eyes and cheeks soaked from her tears. She couldn't bring herself to move as more tears erupted from her eyes. She had been so close and now her dream had been shattered once again. She couldn't help but think of Katherine. Somehow she knew Katherine could hear her crying and was laugh from the tomb below. Laughing at her pain and suffer, all of which was caused because of her stupid manipulative games.

Her mind then moved onto Lexi, wishing she was here to comfort her. But she wasn't. She was dead, and it was all so that Damon could bring back the Bitch that to this day still continued to mess with her family. Despite the fact that Katherine was the one locked away, she was still wining and as always Sarah was losing...her family.


	10. The Turning Point

_Review responses:_

 _Lulu: Sorry for the wait, hope you enjoy the new chapter!_

 _JimmyHall24: I know, Damon can be a pain, but Sarah loves him to much to kill, but she still hates his guts right now. And yeah, from the requests it's looking like it might be a Femslash. But I'm miles away from it, so be warned, you're in for a wait._

 _As since this is my tenth chapter I want to give a shout out to TeamComrade11 who wrote 'The Tragedy of Being a Whitmore' which inspired me to write this story. The author did take a break for a while but is now back and full recommend you check out this story!_

 _Thanks for all the favourites and follows you guys! And don't forget to leave a review if your enjoying the_ _story!_

* * *

 **Chapter 10: The Turning Point**

* * *

Awakening in her bed Sarah was still as she blinked the sleep from her eyes. Part of her didn't want to move, fearing her bothers would have already left. That thought quickly vanished though when she heard a knock at her bedroom door. Rolling onto her back she sat up to find Stefan standing in her bedroom doorway, leaning on the frame with a thin smile.

"Morning," he greeted her but Sarah only frowned angrily in response.

"Thought you'd be gone by now," Sarah replied as she threw off the covers, sliding her legs out of bed. She brushed her bed hair out of her face and walked around her bed and towards her bright white tilted bathroom, not saying another word as she did.

"I didn't want to leave without saying goodbye," Stefan said as he carefully stepped into his sister's bedroom while she turned on the tap in her bathroom. She splashed some water on her face and then looked up to the mirror to see Stefan now in her bathroom doorway. She shot him another glare through the mirror before stripping herself of her night cloths and then stepping into her shower. There was no curtain and from the angle Stefan could clearly see into the shower if he wanted to but it was nothing new to either of them.

"Just go, Stefan. I don't like goodbyes," Sarah said as she turned the shower on and began to wash. Stefan lingered for a moment before leaving Sarah to her morning routine. She didn't care if he was gone by the time she got down stairs. She just wanted him to be gone if he was going, prevent the prolonging of her pain.

When she was done with her shower she stepped out and dried herself off with the nearby towel. After that she threw on a pair of jeans and a black top to match her mood. Her leather jacket was where she'd left it last night when she finally came home, lying at the end of her bed. She grabbed it and pulled it on as she made her way down the stairs and into the living room where Damon was waiting for her.

When he caught sight of her, he flashed his usual Damon grin as he lowered his paper. Sarah just let out an angry sigh and rolled her eyes as she passed him, heading towards the kitchen. Entering the kitchen she found the wooden table had been set for three with Stefan cooking in the corner.

"Hungry?" Stefan asked, looking over his shoulder before returning to whatever it was he was frying.

"No," Sarah said coldly, turning to leave the way she'd come in but Damon was blocking her path.

"Sit." From his tone she knew she wasn't getting a choice. Letting out a reluctant sigh Sarah turned back and sat down on one side of the table while Damon took the other. They sat in silence until Stefan joined them with some fried bacon which he put on a plate for them all to eat from.

Sarah just glared at her brothers while they started to eat opposite her, the only sound was of their jaws chewing. It took them awhile to realise she wasn't eating and then both looked to her. She remained silent for a while until eventually they're glares wore her down.

"What?" she asked, playing dumb.

"Eat," Damon said, keeping to his one word answers.

"I'm not hungry," Sarah snarled turning her attention to Damon.

"Look, I get you're mad at us-" Stefan began as he leaned down on the table.

"Mad at you?" A dry laugh. "That's an understatement," Sarah snapped turning to Stefan.

"Don't you think you're overreacting just a bit?" Damon asked in his mocking tone.

"You're abandoning me!" Sarah shouted as she stood up from her seat. "I'd say it's a fair reaction."

"This is best for everyone, Sarah," Stefan cut in between his siblings before they could get to each other's throats.

"Best for you and him maybe," Sarah said with a nod to Damon. "But not for me. And don't give me that spiel about how we're not a family and I'll be better off without you, because it's a lie. We're a family and we should be sticking together," Sarah said trying to break through to her brothers. The two vampires opposite her just exchanged glances and then looked back to Sarah, Stefan with sorry eyes and Damon with his hard blue ones.

"You know what." Sarah sighed as she shook her head. "Forget it. Just be gone before I get back." She marched out of the kitchen. She heard Stefan stand up to follow her but when he didn't move she assumed that Damon was holding him back. This was the best way to do it and Damon knew it. A clean break was better for her than the dragged out goodbye. She knew that would be hard for Stefan but part of her wanted him to suffer for leaving her.

Making her way out the door she slammed it shut behind her and made her way down the drive way towards the main road. When she heard a car coming towards her she vanished off into the woods at vamp speed and kept going until she was deep in the forest.

Anger quickly consumed her and she threw her fist hitting the tree trunk in front of her and sending bark flying. She didn't stop and threw her other fist, then continued to punch the tree until she caught sight of her bleeding knuckles. She frowned down at her hands before brushing out the bark, allowing her hands to heal properly.

Her head then dipped back and her eyes moved up to the tree tops with the blue sky above, white clouds drifting lazily by without a care in the world. Sarah wished she could be like them, but after a little reminder of what she was like with no emotions she quickly decided it was best to stay the way she was. Not that she had a choice in the matter. She just wished that her brothers didn't have to leave her.

She spent most of her day in the forest, just avoiding everything in the real world and feeding off small animals. When it started to remind her of Stefan she stopped and grabbed a hiker before erasing his memories and sending him on his way. She couldn't muster up the courage to return home on the off chance Stefan and Damon were still there. If they were she couldn't be sure she'd be able to watch them go without attacking them and she didn't want to part on those terms. She was much happier with them both leaving and thinking she was just mad at them, instead of out to lock them up. Though she'd be lying if she said she hadn't thought about it.

It was only when the sun started to go down that she finally found herself on familiar grounds as she spotted Scarlett's trailer through the trees up ahead. With nothing better to do she found herself venturing towards it when she heard a scream from within. She knew it was a male's scream so not Scarlett which made her a little relieved. Racing to the door in a blur, Sarah kicked the door open to see Scarlett standing over her uncle who was on the floor unconscious. Her eyes caught the reflected light in Scarlett's hand and when it cleared she saw that she was holding a sharp kitchen knife.

"Scarlett, don't'!" Sarah shouted as she tried to step into the trailer only to be stopped by a familiar invisible wall. "Scarlett! Scarlett, look at me! Invite me in! Scarlett! Scarlett!" Sarah continued to shout but Scarlett didn't say anything, only remain still as she stared down at her uncle. She turned the knife over in her hand and held it above her head, ready to stab at the fat man's heart.

"Scarlett!" Sarah shouted once again but all she could do was watch as the knife was swung down into her uncle's chest delivering a deadly blow. Then Scarlett pulled the knife out and stabbed him again, and again, and again until she was covered in blood along with her floor.

Then she froze and the knife fell from her hands as she dropped to her knees, gasping in shock. Knowing Sarah was behind her, Scarlett looked over to see the vampire in the doorway looking back with equal shock in her eyes. Despite having given Scarlett this very command, Sarah was still shocked to see that she had done it. At the time she had thought she was doing the girl a favour but now she wasn't so sure. _How could she have completely forgotten about this?_ Sarah wondered as she continued to gap at the sight in front of her. She'd been so sucked up in her own personal drama she'd completely forgotten what she had done to Scarlett.

Sarah then found her eyes widening as she looked back into Scarlett's. The teenager's natural brown eyes had become a glowing gold with black background. Sarah was speechless as the glow faded from Scarlett's eyes; she'd never seen anything like it in all her years on this earth. She'd seen plenty of vampires but never anything like this.

"You... You... What are you?" Scarlett stammered in complete and utter fear as she stared back into Sarah's forest green eyes.

"Scarlett. Listen to me. It's going to be okay," Sarah said as she began to compel Scarlett. "Just invite me in and everything will be okay," Sarah continued but Scarlett didn't invite her in. She just continued to stare back at Sarah.

"Why would I invite you in after everything you've done?" Scarlett asked which shocked Sarah, even from this distance her compulsion should still work. Maybe not as affectively as it would if she was up close but it was like Scarlett had become completely immune.

"Scarlett... Just...just let me explain," Sarah said as she tried to get inside again only to fail.

"You killed Vicki!" Scarlett screamed as the memoires came flooding back into her head.

"Yes. Yes I did and I can explain everything but you need to invite me in," Sarah said still trying to force her way through the invisible barrier that refused to give in. "Scarlett, please," Sarah begged as she stared into the teenager's eyes.

"I... I..." Scarlett said before finally screaming out in pain as she dropped to the ground.

"Scarlett? Scarlett!" Sarah shouted as she watched the girl spasm around on the floor. Eyes widening in horror, Sarah found herself stepping back when suddenly Scarlett's limbs began to twist into unnatural positions. Her screams increasing in volume and pain as her cloths began to tear.

"What...what...what is happening?!" Scarlett wept before the pain suddenly hit her again and she arched upwards while on all fours with another agonising scream. Only it was beginning to sound less like a scream and more like a howl crossed with a growl.

"I-I don't know," Sarah replied as she watched Scarlett's cloths fall to the ground, her whole body know shifting into something...non-human. She was beginning to look more like an animal, a four legged animal with a tail and snout. Hair growing out of her naked skin at an insane right, cover in how body in long black hairs.

Then it struck Sarah what it was Scarlett was becoming. A wolf.

"Oh...my...God..." Sarah breathed out as she slowly stepped back as Scarlett completed her transformation. She was now a large black furred wolf with glowing amber eyes that glared back angrily at Sarah. A growl then began to form in the back of Scarlett's new throat and passed out as she took a step towards the vampire in front of her.

Hearing the threat in the Scarlett's growl, Sarah turned tail and took off at full speed into the forest as a howl chased after her. It was only when the howl faded from her ears, that Sarah looked over her shoulder to see Scarlett now hot on her tail. The fear of death quickly kicked in and as Sarah looked back to where she was running she found herself going faster than ever before.

Suddenly tripping over a low lying log, Sarah fell face first as Scarlett leapt for her throat. Luckily she passed right over Sarah who was now lying flat on the ground. Pushing up quickly, Sarah found that Scarlett had already turned around and was ready to pounce again.

Searching for a weapon, Sarah reached for a large stick and swung for Scarlett's stomach as she pounced. Thanks to her speed and strength Sarah managed to catch Scarlett off balance in mid air and knocked her aside before taking off into the forest.

Looking behind her and seeing no sign of Scarlett, Sarah skidded to a stop and took cover behind a tree truck. She did her best to calm her breathing but something primal inside of her told her not to stop running until she got home. But with Scarlett nowhere in sight Sarah decided to catch her breath, thinking it safe.

Panic then took over quickly as her phone started to ring. Fearing it would attract the beast Scarlett had become, Sarah quickly pulled out her phone and answered it before the second ring could finish.

"What?" Sarah hissed in a hushed whisper as she answered the phone.

"I need your help," Damon said back painfully, ignoring everything her voice was telling him.

"I'm busy," Sarah hissed as she peered around the tree trunk, thankful there was still no sight of the black wolf.

"And I just got shot with wooden bullets," Demon snapped. "Bet you'll never guess who did it."

"I'm not helping you," Sarah said bitterly. If her brothers were going to abandon her then she wasn't going to do them any favours.

"It was Logan Fell," Demon said, once again ignoring what his sister was saying.

"What? I thought you killed him?" Sarah said in confusion as she frowned.

"I know. I must be getting sloppy," Demon said so playfully Sarah could almost picture him smirking. "So why don't you get your butt over to the school and help me-" Damon said but the second half of his sentence was cut out by a loud growl.

Sarah's head snapped to the side to find a pair of amber eyes glaring at her with a set of sharp canine fangs right underneath them. In a mad frantic panic Sarah hung up and leapt to the side as the beast flew at her. She hid the ground with a roll and then came back up sprinting as the Chase began again.

She eventually reached the road and followed it towards Mystic Falls hoping that Scarlett wouldn't follow her into town. Glancing back over her shoulder, Sarah quickly wished she hadn't when she saw that Scarlett was getting closer. At this rate she was going to be Scarlett's next meal before she got anywhere near Mystic Falls.

Fighting the instinct to run, Sarah came to a sudden stop as she swung her foot around and caught Scarlet in the jaw knocking her aside. With the teenage beast caught off balance by her sudden change in strategy, Sarah took her chance to vanish into the woods again.

Near instantly Sarah took cover behind a tree trunk and then watched as Scarlett dashed by like a shadow on the forest floor.. Holding her breath until the wolf was out of sight, Sarah then let out a shaky breath.

She was scared. More scared than she had been when her brothers told her they were leaving her. Possibly the most scared she'd ever been in her life. There was something inside her that just knew that while Scarlett was in this form she was deadly, even to vampires. She was shaking all over from fear and all she wanted was her brothers. She needed them to help her fight whatever Scarlett had become before the wolf killed her.

A sudden gasp of horror then escaped her lips as Sarah saw Scarlett slowly stepping towards her from threw the trees. She could kick herself for thinking it would be that easy to lose such a deadly animal. This was an animal that had several ways of tracking its prey and number one was by scent, something that Sarah couldn't easily lose.

"Scarlett... If you're in there... I don't want to hurt you," Sarah said slowly with raised hands to show she meant no harm. Her message however, was not well received. Scarlett let out an angry growl, but after everything she'd been through Sarah couldn't blame her for being angry.

Scarlett once again jumped towards Sarah, her jaw open and ready to bite into Sarah's flesh. Luckily Sarah was just fast enough to duck and roll out off the way as Scarlett went flying past. With her line of sight blocked by the tree Sarah used that chance to change direction and zip back towards the road as Scarlett leapt out from behind the tree only to see Sarah running the other way.

Making it back to the road, Sarah ran for the intersection up ahead where she saw a waiting car. Maybe she could out run Scarlett in a car, at least until she got into town anyway.

Running for the car she suddenly stopped when she spotted Stefan standing by the driver's door. After smashing the window he reached in and pulled out Logan Fell who he threw to the ground. He tried to get back up and fight but Sarah was too fast and swiftly kicked him back down before Damon fired two wooden bullets into his chest.

"Payback's a bitch, isn't it?" Damon said aloud as he glared down at Logan.

"Get her out of here?" Damon ordered to Stefan who ran around the other side off the car while Damon headed for the driver's side.

"Watch him," Damon ordered as he threw the gun to Sarah who caught it with ease and aimed it at Logan. Though she was watching out the corner of her eye in case Scarlett suddenly jumped out at her.

"Sheriff, yeah, it's Damon," he said into a phone Sarah presumed was Logan's. There was a pause from Damon as he waited for the Sheriff's reply and during that time Sarah saw Stefan make a hasty exit with Caroline in his arms. She made a mental note to ask about that later.

"She's okay. I'm on Elm Street," Damon said before hanging up the phone and walking around to the back of the car where he opened up the trunk. Once he had retrieved his weapon, a tire iron, he closed the trunk and made his way back over to Sarah's side.

"Gonna try this one more time," Damon said as he patted the tire iron into the palm of his hand while Sarah kept the gun trained on Logan. "Who turned you?"

"I told you I don't know," Logan said form the ground.

"Is that your final answer?" Damon asked as he held the tire iron above his head, ready to swing through and take Logan's head clean off.

"How can you side with them?" Logan asked, trying to buy himself a few precious seconds.

"I don't side with anyone. You pissed me off. I want you dead," Damon said with a glare to show he meant it.

"Who turned you?" Sarah asked, sensing this was important.

"I don't know!" Logan shouted and Sarah pulled the trigger firing two more bullets, this time into his thy and shoulder.

"Nice one, Sis," Damon said with a grin as Logan let out a painful shout. Sarah didn't return it. After everything he'd recently put her through he was lucky he wasn't getting a bullet himself.

"Looks like your time is up," Damon said as he went to swing forwards with the tire iron only to stop when Logan shouted out.

"Wait, wait! I do know," He confessed.

"You're lying," Damon growled at him, knowing he was desperate to save his own neck.

"Tell us now or I let him finish you," Sarah said as she lowered the gun, waiting for Logan's answer. He looked like he was just about to give up the name when suddenly Scarlett leapt through the air growling at them all as she ran across the road.

"Get back!" Sarah yelled as she pulled Damon away from the defenceless Logan as Scarlett dug her canine fangs into his shoulder, his scream echoing all around the road.

"What the hell?" Damon said with wide eyes.

"Loop back around and grab him. I'll lure it away," Sarah ordered as she pushed Damon away from the scene.

"Go, I'll explain later," Sarah said before he could question her but he still didn't move. "Go!" Sarah shouted and finally Damon took off in a blur leaving Sarah to deal with Scarlett who was getting a good taste of Logan as he screamed in pain.

"Scarlett!" Sarah shouted and the wolf looked up with its amber eyes to meet Sarah's green ones. Recognizing her original target, Scarlett bared her fangs and jumped off Logan as Sarah ran back off into the woods. She just had to keep her busy until she turned back to normal. Sadly Sarah had no idea how long that would take or even if it would happen. Looking up at the full moon as she ran she listened to the familiar howl that followed her through the woods. All Sarah wanted was for this horrible day to end.

* * *

When Scarlett finally awoke, the sun was up and she was lying naked in the forest. Sitting up confused and cold, Scarlett pulled herself into a ball as she hugged herself for warmth. Last night was a mixture of flashing imagines but the one that stuck out most to her was the one of her murdering her uncle. She knew it wasn't a dream despite knowing her actions weren't her own.

At the time she hadn't been entirely sure why she did what she did but now she did. It had been Sarah, the vampire. She had somehow made her murder her uncle, though Scarlett would be lying if she said she hadn't considered doing it herself. All Sarah had done was give her the strength to go through with it.

As if on cue Scarlett then felt something covering her shoulders and looked up to see Sarah putting her leather jacket on her bare skin. Pulling the jacket around her naked body, covering her sensitive areas, Scarlett looked up as Sarah offered her a friendly smile.

"Why don't you come with me," Sarah said, no hatred in her voice or even a grudge after what happened last night. Scarlett just nodded her head as Sarah helped her up to her bare feet before then leading her back through the forest towards the Salvatore house. The teenage girl had no idea what she'd just stepped into.


	11. Bloodlines

_Review responses:_

 _Only reviewer: I know right, really excited to show you more of Scarlett now that the secret is out._

 _Star1X: Yeah, I have a few ideas for vampires that Sarah knows but Stefan and Damon don't but it won't be any of the Originals, I have other plans for them. As for Scarlett effecting the story line, well only time will tell and yeah, she will be having a pretty big effect on Jeremy's story line, particularly his relationships with other characters._

 _1st Guest: Hopefully I didn't keep you waiting too long, hope you enjoy the update._

 _Fairy Tail Master23: Awe, __thank you!_

 _2nd Guest: I haven't really confirmed it's a femslash yet, just that a lot of people are asking for it and that I'm considering doing it later on. But I did originally plan to have Matt and Sarah get together at some point so keep your fingers crossed. But I will listen to everyone and try to provide something that is pleasing to as many people as possible so please do keep telling me what you would like and don't want to see._

 _Kelena-forever: The translation was fine! I'm glad you are enjoying the story, and yeah, I'm also very excited for when Katherine shows up!_

 _Translation (I hope google translate is okay for you?) :_ La traduction était bien! Je suis content que tu apprécies l'histoire, et oui, je suis aussi très excitée quand Katherine arrive!

* * *

 **Chapter 11: Bloodlines**

* * *

Opening the front door to her home, Sarah walked in to find Stefan racing forwards to meet her. Although when he realized who she was he stopped and his face dropped.

"You okay there, Stefan?" Sarah asked with a frown when she saw the look on his face.

"I thought you might be someone else," Stefan mumbled as he turned away to walk into the living room.

"Good morning to you to brother," Sarah said as she followed him. "Why haven't you left yet?" Sarah asked as Stefan walked behind one of the couches.

"I'm not going anymore," Stefan said as he turned to Sarah, gripping onto the back of the couch as he did.

"And Damon?" Sarah asked as she folded her arms.

"I don't know," Stefan admitted as his gaze lowered to the ground.

"Well, if you're staying a guess you should know, we've got a house guest," Sarah declared bring Stefan's eyes back to her as he frowned at her in confusion.

"Who?" Stefan asked. Sarah just looked back into the hallway and nodded her head to indicate for the guest to come in. Stefan then watched with a still face as Scarlett walked into the living room. She was all but naked bar Sarah's leather jacket that covered her chest.

Stefan remembered her from the night they had dealt with Vicki but other than that he didn't know much more about her and wasn't fond of having her in the house.

"So what, is she your new pet? That you'll feed on whenever a blood bag isn't good enough?" Stefan asked in an accusing manor as he gestured to the girl in the archway.

"No. She's just a girl that needs some help," Sarah said as she stared back at her brother.

"So now you're a social worker now?" Stefan asked as he walked back over to her. "Send her home, Sarah," Stefan ordered as he squared up to his little sister.

"I can't," Sarah stated bluntly, not liking her brothers attitude towards her.

"Then compel her," Stefan snapped.

"Go for it," Sarah said as she stepped aside for her brother to get a good look at Scarlett. Deciding he had much more import things to do than play another of Sarah's games, Stefan just shook his head and walked out the front door.

"Sorry about that," Sarah said as she walked over to join Scarlett in the archway.

"What is going on?" Scarlett asked in a shaky voice as her grip on Sarah's jacket tightened. Sarah just smiled back in response as she turned and made her way over to one of the couches.

"Have a seat," Sarah said gesturing over to the other couch as she made herself comfy. It took Scarlett a moment to decide before she slowly moved over to the couch to sit opposite Sarah.

"So what do you want to know?" Sarah asked as she leaned forwards. There was another pause as Scarlett built up the nerve to ask the first question that came to her mind.

"What are you?" Scarlett asked, her voice still shaky.

"I'm a vampire. So are my brothers, but you already knew that. So why don't you ask what you really want to know," Sarah suggested as her eyes narrowed.

On their way back to the house, Sarah had tried to compel Scarlett again but it still didn't work. If Sarah hadn't seen her turn into a wolf then she might have guessed Scarlett was a vampire. Which meant her memories would be coming back by now and she'd be remembering everything Sarah had made her forget.

"What am I?" Scarlett finally asked.

"I don't know," Sarah admitted disappointedly. "Though I have a theory," Sarah added, peeking Scarlett's interest. "I think you might be a werewolf," Sarah pointed out and Scarlett frowned in response.

"Werewolves aren't real," Scarlett said sounding more like her normal self already.

"Once thought the same thing about vampires, yet, here we are," Sarah said teasingly with a smile.

"So if I'm a...werewolf...what does that mean?" Scarlett asked.

"It means you're going to stay close to me until we figure it out," Sarah said getting to her feet. "And whatever you do, don't tell anyone. Last thing we need is someone overreacting," Sarah said, already picturing how Damon would react to the news about a werewolf in the house.

"Why don't you go and get changed. My room's up the stairs and second door on the right. Take what you want from my closet and meet me in the kitchen," Sarah said as she made her way out towards the hallway.

"Where's the kitchen?" Scarlett asked, not having moved from the couch.

"Follow your nose," Sarah teased with another smile as she vanished into the hallway, making her way towards the kitchen.

* * *

After getting changed into a red top too long for her and a pair of skinny jeans that fitted her like normal jeans, Scarlett made her way down stairs still wearing Sarah's leather jacket. Once she reached the front hallway she came to a stop trying to figure out which way to go.

It was while she was stood in the hallway that she picked up the spell of cooking. Only it was stronger than anything Scarlett had ever smelt in her life and it was so beautiful and delicious that her mouth was already watering in anticipation.

Following the smell through the house she quickly found the kitchen where Sarah had laid out a plate full of homemade food. Just staring at the food made Scarlett realise how hungry she was. The only thing she remembered eating in the past twelve hours was the shoulder of some guy she attacked when she was a wolf.

"Go ahead. Dig in." Sarah spoke up as she made her way over from the kitchen to the wooden table where the plate of food was sitting.

"What about you?" Scarlett asked as she approached the table, though he eyes never left the food.

"My breakfast is right here," Sarah said as she produced a blood bag that was already half drained. She opened up the top and began to drink as Scarlett sat down next to her.

Quickly the teenage girl began to eat the meal, savouring every delicious taste as flavours exploded in her mouth like fireworks. She'd never eat anything this good in her entire life and being able to taste each and every ingredient only made her mouth water more.

"You okay there?" Sarah asked with a strange look to Scarlett as she shoved forkful after forkful into her mouth.

"Mm-hmm," Scarlett mumbled in between mouthfuls. "So what can you do?" Scarlett asked as she looked over to Sarah who was drinking from her blood bag.

"Well, I'm strong, fast, heighten senses. I can compel people." Sarah began to explain.

"Compel?" Scarlett questioned.

"It's a form of mind control. But it only works on humans. It has no effect on other vampires or witches or even you," Sarah explained before Scarlett froze in her eating.

"Witches are real too?" Scarlett asked in shock causing Sarah to laugh. There was a lot she had to teach this girl.

* * *

After going over the basics of the supernatural world with Scarlett the two then made their way through the woods back to Scarlett's trailer. The teenage girl had agreed to move into the Salvatore house until she got her new abilities under control but first she needed to collect her things from the trailer.

Sarah would have done it herself and used the time to clean up the crime scene but since she hadn't been invited in she had no choice but to let Scarlett come with her while she disposed of the body.

"Now remember, if anyone asks you about any of this. You tell them you had a fight with your uncle and I offered you a place to stay," Sarah said, going over their back story as they approached the trailer.

"I got it," Scarlett said as she opened up the door to the trailer exposing her still dead uncle that had began to stink. "Oh God," Scarlett groaned as she looked away from the sight and more importantly the smell.

"Invite me in," Sarah ordered as she eyed the dead body, eager to get rid of it before anyone showed up and started asking questions.

"Sure, come on in," Scarlett said waving a hand towards the dead body. Sarah quickly brushed past the teenager and grabbed the body from the puddle of blood he was resting in.

"I'll deal with the clean up. You just grab what you want to take and then we'll go," Sarah said as she flung the fat uncle over her shoulder, carrying him out with one arm.

"What are you going to do with him?" Scarlett asked watching as Sarah walked away with her uncle.

"I'm going to bury him," Sarah said as she looked back before then vanishing into the woods at vamp speed. Feeling a shudder pass up her back, Scarlett turned in to face the bloody trailer before grimacing. Then braving the smell she stepped into the trailer and began to collect her things.

Sarah returned quick enough claiming she'd found an empty grave and filled it in near the cemetery before compelling the grounds keeper to dig another hole for the funeral that was to take place later on that day.

She got to cleaning the trailer while Scarlett sorted her things outside in the fresh air, deciding what to bring with her and what to leave behind. As she did, she found something she hadn't seen in a very long time. A necklace her mother had worn before her death. It was a black shard of what looked like a stone but shone like a crystal. A silver ring held the shard in place with a small silver chain attached to both sides.

As Scarlett stared at the necklace in her hand she remember how her mother had always promised to give her the necklace when she grew up. But her uncle must have kept it for himself in hopes that it was worth something. As Scarlett remembered, it was priceless, but maybe that was just in her eyes, otherwise her Uncle would have sold it by now.

"What's that you go there?" Sarah asked as she walked up from behind.

"It was my mom's necklace." Sarah stared down at the necklace that rested in the palm of Scarlett's hand. It was an odd necklace but Sarah could see the appeal in it. In some ways it reminded her of the ring that kept her alive. She watched as Scarlett lifted the necklace above her head and lowered it around her neck. Then with a flip of her hair she had the necklace sitting perfectly around her neck.

"It looks good on you," Sarah said with a smile down to Scarlett. When the teenager looked up Sarah saw her eyes flash gold and black for a second before turning back to normal. Sarah stepped back with a frown and Scarlett looked up with confusion in her eyes.

"What's wrong?"

"You're eyes just flashed just like they did last night...which was right before you turned into a wolf... And then tried to kill me," Sarah explained nervously.

"Oh. Does that mean I'm going to turn into a wolf again?" Scarlett asked, remembering the horrible pain she'd gone through last time she'd changed.

"I don't know, but maybe you ought to make yourself scares. I'll finish up here and take your stuff back to the house." Scarlett nodded in agreement as she got up quickly and stared to run away from her old home. "And try not too-" Sarah began to say before suddenly Scarlett began to run at supernatural speed, vanishing as quickly as a vampire.

Sarah stood, staring at where Scarlett had been not two seconds ago, but was now nowhere in sight. The mysterious girl was becoming even more mysterious. Quickly getting back to work, Sarah decided it was best to try and finish up the cleaning before Scarlett returned, either as a human or a wolf.

* * *

Before Scarlett knew what she was doing, she suddenly stopped in the middle of a quiet neighborhood. She looked over her shoulder but the forest she had just been in was nowhere in sight. Neither was Sarah, the tall black haired vampire had gone as well. It had happened all so fast, one minutes she was running and the next everything was a blur.

She was about to turn back around and run back to Sarah when her nostrils flared. Something had entered her nose, a smell. But it was stronger than that. It was more than just a smell. It felt familiar yet it Scarlett had never noticed it before. It was a scent. A scent of someone she knew. But after a few more sniffs she knew who the scent bellowed to. It was Jeremy's.

Scarlett took a few steps forward then sniffed again. It was stronger. Not by much, but enough to tell her that Jeremy had gone this way. She didn't think twice and took off after the scent, hoping to find Jeremy.

It had been too long since she last spoke to him. She had remembered most of what happened the night of the Halloween carnival with Vicki, but what she was focused on was Jeremy. She had fun with him, more fun than she expected and had realized he wasn't as bad as she first thought. He was sweet caring guy and maybe she could give him a chance.

In any case, she wanted to see him. Maybe even talk to him about what was happening to her right now. Sarah was good to her but Scarlett was still getting used to her being a vampire and it would be nice to talk to someone...normal, about all of it.

Scarlett came to a stop outside Mystic Falls Library. Jeremy's scent was strongest here and there was no indication that he had left. Walking inside, Scarlett was careful not to use her enhanced speed. The last thing she needed, now that she was...whatever she was, was to draw attention to herself.

A quick sniff and Scarlett looked over towards a staircase that led to the second floor. She started to walk up and then Jeremy's voice hit her as if she was standing right next to him. For a moment she was taking a back and froze in mid step. She was so dazed that she didn't even know what was being said until she focused.

"I mean, a country at war doesn't want realism. They want fantasy. Thus, vampire fiction." That was Jeremy speaking. Scarlett wasn't too concerned about him talking about vampires. She knew if he really knew anything then one of the vampires would erase his memories like they'd done with her. What did catch her off guard was the girl's voice that came next.

"Man, you're smart. I gotta give it to you; when I first saw you, I missed it." Scarlett frowned. She'd never heard this girl's voice before and from the sound of her voice it sounded like she might have a thing for Jeremy.

"Yeah. I've been...well it's complicated," Jeremy replied before both went silent. Scarlett could only imagine what they were doing. Perhaps making out or just staring into each other's' eyes romantically. Scarlett tried to force the thoughts away but they just kept coming in.

 _Was that all she was to Jeremy. A complication. Someone he had once liked but after all the drama she had put him through had decided she just wasn't worth it._ Scarlett closed her eyes hoping that would stop the thoughts but it only made them louder and clearer. She had missed her window had been too stupid to see the great guy that wanted to be with her. She held back the tears that threatened to start coming but then pain struck right through her body.

Scarlett would have collapsed had she not grabbed onto the banister in time. Then came another sharp pain, zig zagging through her back and making it arch inwards. Scarlett knew what was happening, she was changing again, just like last night. Her head shot from side to side, looking for an exit.

She spotted a green light above a door and ran back down the stairs. She took a sharp left turn and pushed past a man that was in her way. He called out for an apology but Scarlett was already pushing open the door. She took one step out into the daylight and dropped down to all fours as more pain shot through her body.

The fire escape slammed shut behind her and Scarlett let out a groan of pain as she felt her bones snap. It was too late to try and stop it, her body was already changing and Scarlett had no choice but to push on through it. She clenched her jaw, doing her best to hold in her shouts of pain as her limbs twisted this way and that before snapping into a new position. It was just as painful as the first time.

Her cloths had begun to tear, ripping until finally they fell to the ground in shreds. By that point though it didn't matter that she was naked, her body was already covered in a thick coat of black fur. Scarlett caught a glimpse of herself off a shattered bottle and saw that the transformation was almost complete, her eyes now solid amber as her face settled on its wolf form. The only thing that remained was her mother's necklace that hung around her neck.

* * *

Walking into her house, Sarah called out for Stefan as she entered the living room. Luckily he wasn't home. After finishing the cleaning up at Scarlett's trailer and bringing her stuff over to the boarding house, Sarah had spent the last few hours searching all over Mystic Falls for the teenager but had found nothing. No sightings of Scarlett or the crazy wolf she turned into had been reported and Sarah was beginning to worry that something had happened to her.

She was standing in the living room, facing the fire place when suddenly she heard a ruffling sound form behind. She turned but there was nothing there. She stepped out into the hallway, looking both ways but no one was there. Footprints rushed around behind her and Sarah snapped around but again there was nothing to see.

"Stefan?" Sarah called out as she stepped back into the living room. Another round of fast moving footsteps sounded from behind and when Sarah turned she was met with a growl. Her eyes went wide as a black wolf leapt from the floor and pounced on her. With the weight of the wolf on her, Sarah dropped onto her back with the wolf landing on top of her, it's sharp teeth only inches from Sarah's neck.

For a moment Sarah remained perfectly still, until she noticed the necklace dangling around the wolf's neck. "Scarlett?" Sarah asked cautiously, careful not to aggravated the angry wolf. But then it's angry snarling face dropped and it's tongue darted out, licking Sarah's face. Sarah let out a groan of disgust as the wolf stepped off and allowed her to sit up.

"Well, at least you're not as vicious this time," Sarah said as she looked to the panting wolf beside her. The wolf gave Sarah another soft lick and then strolled off behind one of the couches. Sarah got up to follow but then when she heard the sound of snapping bones and groans of pain she stopped.

Two minutes later the painful sounds came to an end and slowly Scarlett stood up from behind the couch, covering her chest with her arms. Her mother's necklace still dangled around her neck with the black shard resting just above her breasts.

"So... I think you might be right about the werewolf thing." Sarah smiled at the teenager and Scarlett give a small smile in return.

"Come on, I'll show you to your new room. It's down the hall from mine," Sarah said as she waved for Scarlett to follow.

After settling Scarlett into her new room and letting her get dressed, the two headed down to the living room where Sarah brought Scarlett a small meal. It had been a long day for the teenager and she hadn't had much in terms to eat and as it turns out changing into a wolf made you pretty hungry.

By the time Damon and Elena walked in Scarlett had already eaten two meals and was half way through her third while Sarah sat next to her reading a book.

"Scarlett?" Elena gasped after seeing the girl who was partially hide from view by Sarah.

"Hey, Elena." Scarlett waved to the older girl before returning to her meal. Sarah lowered her book and watched as Elena's eyes moved from Scarlett to Sarah. Sensing that Elena wanted an explanation Sarah closed her book and turned in her seat to face her.

"She's moved in."

"No she's not," Sarah tilted her head to see Damon standing behind Elena with a disagreeing glare.

"Yes she is. And before you try compelling her, she's on vervain."

"I am?" Scarlett asked looking up from her food. Sarah turned and nodded to her. There was no need for her to be on vervain because for whatever reason Scarlett was immune to it. But Sarah wasn't comfortable letting Damon no this and decided it was better to lie until she and Scarlett had a better understanding of what was happening to her.

"Are you okay staying her?" Elena asked as she walked into the living room stopping opposite Scarlett.

"It's better here than with my dick of an uncle," Scarlett said with a shrug before returning to her meal. Once again Elena's eyes moved over and onto Sarah.

"She'll be safe here. I promise," Sarah said with a sincere look in her eye.

"Well if we've got house guests, then I'm going out drinking. See you in the morning new girl," Damon said with a wink to Scarlett before turning around and walking back out the front door. Sarah new this wasn't the last she would hear about Scarlett but at least for tonight the matter had been dropped.

"Is Stefan in?" Elena asked.

"If he is he'll be upstairs, but I haven't seen him since this morning." Elena nodded in thanks and then headed back out of the living room towards the stairs.

"Was that alcohol I smelt on her?" Scarlett asked once Elena was gone. Sarah turned around to face her new friends and frowned. Elena wasn't the type to go out drinking, though it wouldn't surprise her if Damon had somehow talked her into joining him for a drink or too.

"I hope not. Anyway, I think it's time you went to bed," Sarah said as she took the plate of half eaten food from Scarlett.

"Says who?" Scarlett asked with clear teenage attitude in her voice.

"Says the 161 year old vampire you just moved in with. And besides, you don't want to be awake when Damon comes in drunk."

"Fine," Scarlett said as she got up, stepping past Sarah and making her way towards the stairs.

"If you need anything, you know where to find me," Sarah called after Scarlett who stopped in the archway before looking back over her shoulder to Sarah.

"Thanks... For letting me stay here." Sarah smiled at Scarlett.

"It's no problem. I always wanted a ward anyway." Sarah said before opening up her book again. She felt Scarlett linger for a moment and then the girl left. Sarah listened to her footsteps until Scarlett entered her room. She didn't want Scarlett wondering around the house by herself and getting into trouble with the other two vampires. As far as both Stefan and Damon knew, Scarlett was just a normal human girl that was staying with them. It was safer for Scarlett that way and Sarah did feel responsible for what was happening to her. She might even care about her. But for now it was easier to just not tell her brothers what she was. Maybe one day once they understood more about Scarlett they could tell her brothers, but for now, it was better kept a secret.


	12. Stalkers

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* * *

 **Chapter 12: Stalkers**

* * *

Scarlett had been up since the small hours. She had been rudely awoke by the sound of male grumbling as a mixture of light and hard thuds sounded from downstairs. She tried her best to ignored it but with her new heightened senses still settling in it had been hard to push out the noise.

After an hour or so of trying to get back to sleep Scarlett finally gave up and had gotten up. She stomped down the stairs ready to give her new roommate a piece of her mind and followed the sounds to what appeared to be a household library with a fireplace of to one side. The teenage girl was about ready to start shouting but bit her tongue when she saw who was causing all the noise.

It was Damon. He was going through one of the bookshelves, pulling out a book flicking through it and then throwing it away behind him. He hadn't seemed to even notice that Scarlett had entered the room, either that or he just didn't care.

Scarlett was tempted to start a shouting match with the eldest vampire sibling but Sarah had given her plenty of warning about Damon. Though she was more confident in fighting, now that she had her new supernatural abilities, Scarlett wasn't stupid enough to go picking a fight with an one-hundred-and-something year old vampire. So instead she withdrew with a quiet groan and roll of the eyes. She made her way to the other side of the boarding house where the kitchen was and started to make herself some breakfast.

Though she had made herself breakfast plenty of times before, Scarlett was shocked by the amount options she had available. The cabinets and fridge were all stocked full with types of food that she'd only ever dreamt about. She'd never had an expensive meal, not that she could remember. As she recalled her mother cooked most of their meals when she was little and they had always been great. Then when she moved in with her uncle all she got was microwave meals. And now she had so much freedom in terms of what to eat that it made her have to stop and think.

After going through all the things she knew how to make and what was available she settled on scrambled egg. It had been awhile since she made it and unfortunately mucked up when part of the egg shell fell into the bowl. But the second time she did it perfect and after a few minutes of cooking had herself some breakfast.

"Guess I don't have to worry about feeding you." Scarlett looked up from her half eaten breakfast to see Sarah walking in before the vampire took the seat next too her. She was dressed in her standard jeans and leather jacket were as Scarlett had gone for the similar look of jeans and one of her old t-shirts.

"I may have lived with my uncle, but I had to take care of myself." Sarah slowly nodded, remembering how bad Scarlett's uncle had been. But he was gone now and honestly Scarlett seemed better off for it, despite the fact that after murdering him she turned into a vicious wolf.

"By the way, you're brother's be weird," Scarlett said, motioning with her fork towards the other end of the house.

"Weird?" Sarah asked with a frown.

"I woke up and he was throwing books around the library." Sarah frowned for a moment before getting to her feet. Scarlett followed and the two made their way into the library where Damon was still throwing books around as he went from shelf to shelf. Sarah folded her arms and watched for a moment as Scarlett waited behind with her hands in her pockets.

"What are you doing?" Damon briefly looked over his shoulder at his sister but then turned back to the bookshelves before throwing away another book.

"I'm looking for something," Damon mumbled loudly enough for the two girls to hear him.

"Do you want some help?" Scarlett asked, also frowning.

"First thing you need to know about living here. Never help Damon." Both Sarah and Scarlett looked behind them to see Stefan entering the library. He smiled at Scarlett as he came to a stop next to her. She smiled back before all three turned back to Damon who was once again throwing books.

"So what are you looking for?" Stefan asked Damon who again briefly looked over his shoulder.

"Not your concern," Damon said as he pulled out another book, flicking through it.

"No, but Elena is." Stefan said stepping up to Sarah's side.

"What are you talking about?" Damon asked, not looking up from the book he was flicking through.

"I'm talking about Atlanta."

"Oh yeah," Damon said looking up from the book. "Elena and I had a blast."

"And you didn't invite your favourite sister?" Sarah asked with fake shock and hurt in her voice.

"Well you were off making friends with 'who wants to be a teenage loner?' over there." He gestured towards Scarlett. "So I figured you were busy," Damon said with a smirk to his sister before throwing away the book he had in his hands.

"Is he always this grumpy?" Scarlett asked from behind Stefan and Sarah, earning an icy glare from Damon.

"Careful new girl. Don't think that because my sister likes you that means I won't drain you dry for annoying me."

"Trust me, I have the bite to backup my bark," Scarlett said taking a step forwards with a glare to match Damon's. Sarah glanced back over her shoulder as her eyes locked onto Scarlett with a pointed look that told her to stop talking. Scarlett didn't see it at first though as she was focused on Damon who slowly stopped glaring and started to smirk. _Maybe this kid wouldn't be all that bad_ , Damon thought to himself as he watched Scarlett form in between his siblings.

"I see why my sister likes you," was all Damon said before turning back to the bookshelves.

"To answer your question Scarlett, he's not always this grumpy," Stefan said as he watched his brother.

"He's normally more diabolical," Sarah added with a shrug of the shoulders as she turned back around to face Damon.

"But the reason he's all grumpy is because his siblings are out making new relationship while he's still trying to figure out how to free the person he loves. Unfortunately, Katherine is just out of reach. Unless there's another way for you to get into that tomb. Is that what Bree said?" Stefan asked as he pressed his brother for information.

Of course this was all news to Sarah. She hadn't talked to either of her brothers since Damon and Elena returned last night. But clearly Stefan had been talking to Elena and found out that Damon was still trying to free Katherine. She hadn't told Scarlett about Katherine and could feel her confused stare on the back of her head. She just wasn't ready to be that open with her, despite the fact that she had made Scarlett open up to her.

"You're pathetic when you're fishing," Damon said as he pulled out another book.

"And you're transparent when you're deflecting," Stefan countered as he continued to stare at his brother. There was a pause before Damon finally spoke up, sending the three supernaturals that were staring at him a smug look.

"Don't you kids have school?" Another silence before Scarlett walked out to collect her books and Damon turned back to what was in his hands. Stefan was the next to go and when Sarah refused to leave Damon looked up at his sister who was staring back at him. "Something on your mind, Sis?"

"Just so you know. Katherine is never getting out that tomb. I won't let her." Damon just smiled his classic smile and turned away from his sister. Sarah glared at him for a few more moments before then turning on her heels and heading out to school with Stefan and Scarlett.

* * *

It was the next day before anything else happened. When the two vampires and possible werewolf came home Damon had finished going through all the books in the library and had moved on to Stefan's bedroom. Stefan had been kind enough to cook a meal for the four of them but Damon was too busy to eat so it had just been Stefan, Sarah and Scarlett who ate together. Then when Sarah had decided she wanted to go to bed she walked in to find Damon going through her books. After a quick fight Sarah finally managed to throw Damon from her room and told him to come back in the morning as she slammed the door. She got maybe five hours before Damon returned.

That morning Sarah decided to make breakfast but when she got down stairs she found Scarlett was halfway through making it. Sarah helped out but it was clear Scarlett didn't need it and again Stefan, Sarah and Scarlett sat down for a meal while Damon continued his search.

It wasn't long after breakfast that a frantic Elena appeared at the door, looking over her shoulder as Stefan invited her inside. He led her to the library that Damon had now abandoned and Sarah and Scarlett followed. By the time they sat down Elena had already explained about the man she'd hit and how he then called her to say he was coming after her.

"Why me? What does he want with me? And if he's trying to kill me, then why call first?" Elena asked from the couch she was sat on. Beside her was Stefan and in the two armchairs opposite her were Sarah and Scarlett.

"That's because we're predators, Elena. We hunt. We stalk. It's often as exciting as the kill," Stefan explained.

"It's all just a game to this guy. He's trying to get in your head," Sarah added casually as Scarlett's head whipped back and forth between the two vampires.

"You vampires are so messed up," Scarlett declared and Elena's eyes snapped to Scarlett while Stefan eyed her carefully. The couple then looked over to Sarah with questions at the ready.

"So how much does she know?" Elena asked.

"I know the three of them are vampires. I know you and him are together. There's the creepy stalker you just told me about. I remember bits about Vicki and then I've been told you look like someone named Katherine who I think Damon's trying to find or save or whatever." As Scarlett explained her face screwed up at several points. Clearly she needed most of it to be explained to her again.

"And you're living with the vampires now?" Elena asked, though Sarah could sense the worry that she managed to hold back.

"It's fine, I can take care of myself. Plus I'm on..." She paused, trying to remember the name of the herb. "Vervain?" Scarlett said as she slowly sounded out each syllable of the word. Sarah nodded and saw the proud smile on Scarlett's face for remembering the herb. Not that she needed it.

"But...why are you living with them?" Elena asked, still confused about what Scarlett was thinking.

"Well I can't exactly live with my uncle anymore," Scarlett said before realising what she'd just given away. Sarah cringed a little as she closed eyes and took in a silent sigh while cursing in her head. When she opened her eyes and looked to her brother and Elena, both had narrow questioning eyes on Scarlett.

"Why not?" Elena asked slowly. Scarlett hesitated in answering, knowing that Sarah had told her never to talk about it. So Sarah jumped in to answer.

"Because I killed him," Sarah threw out as all eyes shot to her, Stefan's in particularly raging like fire.

"What?" he snapped.

"The guy had it coming," Sarah said causally.

"That's not an excuse, Sarah!" Stefan said as his voice rose.

"He was hurting her!" Sarah snapped back, leaning forward in her seat, ready to fight her brother on this. She'd known Scarlett's uncle had this coming since the first day she met her. She'd gotten the whole story from the girl and although she should have done it herself she knew Scarlett wanted to be the one to kill him. Now she regretted forcing that decision on Scarlett, and perhaps she would change things, but she'd still want him dead and in the ground regardless of who killed him.

"He was beating her and making her feel like crap and stole from her. Now you look me in the eye and tell me the guy wasn't evil!" Sarah demanded as she fixed her green eyes with Stefan's. She could see he was on the verge of agreeing with her but didn't want to because Elena was watching. Though from the look in her eyes, Elena wasn't far behind agreeing with Sarah herself.

"That didn't mean you had to kill him," Stefan said as Sarah flopped backwards into her chair with an irritated sigh. "You could have compelled him to behave better or gotten several people to confess to seeing him do these things. You could have even compelled her to go and tell the police," Stefan argued as he pointed towards Scarlett.

"I wanted him dead," Scarlett said quietly as the room went silent, eyes moving back onto her now. "He was a total jackass and I wanted him dead. Now he is. He got what he deserved," Scarlett said with a shrug, like it was water off a duck's back. She did truly believe her uncle had gotten what he deserved. Death. And as everyone continued to watch her, Scarlett looked down and took hold of her necklace. Twirling the black shard in between her fingers, thinking off all the power she now had.

"I'm sorry." Scarlett's head shot up and her eyes moved over to Elena who was looking right at her with those soft brown eyes of hers. She meant it too. Not that she was sorry for her uncle's death, Scarlett doubted anyone would be sorry to see that waste of space gone. She was sorry no one had helped Scarlett, that she'd been left to fend for herself. Allowing herself the smallest of smiles, Scarlett nodded in appreciation back to Elena who smiled a small comforting smile back to her.

"Where's his body?" Stefan finally asked as he turned back to Sarah.

"I took care of it," Sarah answered.

"What about-"

"I took care of it," Sarah repeated louder and with more force as she locked eyes with her brother again. She wasn't going to back down. She knew she'd done the right thing. It would have been better if she'd killed the uncle instead of Scarlett, but what's done is done and Scarlett didn't seem to mind. In fact she actually seemed glade she'd done it. It was as if she'd defeated the man that was controlling her life and was now finally free.

Another long silence before Elena finally said, "And you're sure you're okay with all of this?"

"I'm good," Scarlett said, making sure that everyone in the room understood that she was not angry for what had happened or for what was happening now. "The problem right now is this stalker guy."

"She's right," Sarah agreed and finally Stefan broke his glare at Sarah and got up to pick something off the nearby desk. When he returned he sat down next to Elena and handed her a small pocket watch.

"I want you to take this."

"This is Jeremy's pocket watch. How did you get it?" Elena asked looking up from the pocket watch in her hand and at Stefan.

"I took it from Damon, who took it from Logan, who must have taken it from you," Stefan explained as Elena opened up the pocket watch before frowning at it.

"What happened to it?"

"Well, it's not just a watch. It's a-It's a sort of compass, but it points to vampires."

"Whoa, hold on. Why is this the first I'm hearing of this," Sarah asked as she glared at Stefan.

"Why I'm just hearing about the fact that you murder Scarlett's uncle," Stefan snapped back as he turned on Sarah. Both matching the other's green eyed glare.

"Stop it." Elena snapped. Even when she did her voice was still soft, unlike Katherine's commanding tone. They really were just too different people despite the fact they shared a face. But even so, it was hard for Sarah not to think about Katherine whenever Elena was around.

"So the compass will tell me when a vampire is close. But what about the rest of my friends and family?" Elena asked once the two vampires had simmered down.

"I thought you gave them vervain?" Stefan asked turning to Elena.

"That won't stop a vampire from killing them, only from compelling them," Sarah pointed out.

"She's right," Elena agreed.

"But he's after you," Stefan said.

"If it makes you feel better I could watch Jeremy?" Scarlett spoke up as all heads turned to her, Sarah's standing out as she had one raised eyebrow. "I'm just trying to be helpful."

"No offense, Scarlett. But I don't think you'd stand much chance against a vampire," Stefan said discouragingly.

"She can look after herself." As the words left Sarah's mouth Stefan was already looking at her with an arguing look in his eye. But before he could get a word out Sarah quickly continued with, "Besides it's like you said. The vampire is after Elena not her family. So there's no harm in Scarlett watching Jeremy. If anything it means that if someone does try at take him then she can call us."

"She's right," Elena said turning to Stefan who was watching his sister very carefully. He could tell something was up with Sarah and Scarlett, something his sister was keeping from him. But now wasn't the time to get into all that. He had to protect Elena from whatever vampire was coming after her and if his sister and her new friend were offering to help then there was no harm in letting them. For now at least.

"Alright. You can watch Jeremy, but if anything happens call us. Don't do anything stupid."

"And try not to be too wild either." Scarlett looked over to Sarah and instantly caught the hidden meaning in her words. Scarlett nodded with a thin lips smile and got up to leave.

"You'll find Jeremy at the Grill," Elena called after her and Scarlett thanked her before leaving the room.

"If you're planning something with her then-" Stefan began to say before Sarah quickly interrupted him.

"I'm not planning anything, Stefan. I'm just giving her a helping hand. God knows the girl could use one," Sarah said as she got up and left. She was sick of Stefan still not trusting her after all she'd done. Besides pushing him to have some human blood she'd done nothing but help him. She'd even protected Elena on multiple occasions, despite the great hurt it brought upon herself, and now she was helping a helpless girl by offering her a home. But all Stefan saw was a plotting little sister who was out to get him just like his older brother. And with an attitude like that, it was going to be hard for Sarah to reunite her family.

* * *

Walking into the Grill, Scarlett spotted Jeremy by the pool table knocking some balls ideally into the holes. He was by himself and Scarlett knew he wouldn't mind her company so started to walk over. Perhaps they could have as much fun as they did at the Halloween carnival, at least until Vicki showed up.

Sadly Scarlett was beating as a short black haired girl joined Jeremy by the table. Scarlett froze for a second, she hadn't been aware Jeremy was friends with anyone as good looking as this new girl. It made her momentarily question what Jeremy saw in her.

Then remembering that she was supposed to be watching Jeremy, Scarlett made her way into an empty booth and focused her hearing on the two. She started listening in mid conversation and took her a few seconds to understand what was being said but eventually worked out that they were talking about a paper Jeremy had handed in at school.

"I don't even believe it. It's just a paper, Anna." _So the girl's name was Anna,_ Scarlett mentally noted as Jeremy spoke to the girl. "Anyways, I uh-I gotta get goin'." Scarlett smiled to herself. Clearly Jeremy wasn't that interested in Anna otherwise he wouldn't be ditching her the second she arrived.

"Uh, hey, um...D-do you wanna do something later, maybe?" Anna said as she followed Jeremy who was walking away from the table. Scarlett frowned at the girl but remained quiet. She wasn't happy about this stranger hanging out with Jeremy, it wasn't that she seemed threatening it was just that she had suddenly become very protective of Jeremy.

"Uh, sorry. I'm stuck on punch duty at the school dance," Jeremy said as he turned around. Scarlett mentally slapped herself. She'd completely forgotten about the dance. She didn't even have an outfit and with the dance being tonight it was unlikely she was going to get one in time.

"How'd you get stuck with that?" Anna asked with a sympathetic tone.

"Well, I'm failin' English, so I copped a plea." So was Scarlett now that she thought about it. But she'd never been good at anything in school were as Jeremy had been doing fine until his parents death. At least he was finally getting his life back on track and things were even starting to look up for Scarlett herself.

"Maybe, you know, tomorrow or something," Anna suggested clearly wanting to spend time with Jeremy. Scarlett let out a low warning growl below her breath but luckily no one seemed to hear or notice. However, Scarlett's growl grew when she saw Jeremy smile at Anna. She was all but ready to get up and storm over until Anna let out a nervous laugh and said, "I'm being pushy again, aren't I?"

Then came an awkward silence which made Scarlett calm down and settle back into her seat. It was obvious that if Anna was crushing on Jeremy it was not mutual. Maybe Jeremy really did only have eyes for Scarlett.

"Well, thanks for the help. I'll-I'll see you around," Jeremy said as he walked away from the table and towards the main exit. Scarlett watched him leave before her eyes snapped back over to Anna who had a look of self-loathing. For a split second Scarlett felt pity for the girl but then remember how she was 'flirting' with Jeremy ten seconds ago.

Seeing that the girl was now making her way towards the exit after Jeremy, Scarlett got up to follow. When Anna stepped outside Scarlett was right behind and remained four or five feet behind her as she followed her down the street. Anna then turned into the side alley next to the Grill and Scarlett stopped by the corner.

Suspecting that Anna might be onto her, Scarlett waited a moment before looking down the alley to find that Anna had disappeared from sight. With a frown on her face Scarlett stepped into the alley to see if Ann was just hidden from sight but she was completely gone. She couldn't have ran ahead because Scarlett would have heard her and she couldn't be hiding because Scarlett would be able to smell or hear her. Anna was just gone.

Now Scarlett was even more suspicious about this Anna and whatever she was planning with Jeremy.

* * *

Sarah had been looming outside the library ever since Damon entered the room. He had begun making a list but Sarah wasn't able to see what it was about. She couldn't enter the room without alerting Damon to her presence and she was trying to be sneaky. She needed to know what he was planning. It was clear that since returning from Atlanta his goal of freeing Katherine had renewed its life. Despite the fact the necklace had been destroyed, it seemed like Damon was certain there was another way to free his love and if there was then Sarah had to be ready to stop him.

Though she wasn't in the room she knew someone had entered by the sound of footsteps from the doorway. It wasn't Damon, he was still sat at the desk writing up his list and Scarlett was still out watching Jeremy as far as Sarah knew meaning it had to be Stefan.

"You got the hair right." Sarah assumed Damon was referring to Stefan's hair, something he always joked about. But more so now since there was a fifties dance at the school. Stefan was going with Elena, but Sarah was going to be watching Damon until she was sure that Katherine was never getting out of that tomb.

A thud sounded from the library. Judging by the force and way the way the sound spread out Sarah guessed it was a book though that was hardly a shot in the dark since her brothers were in a library.

"Why are you bringing me dad's journal?" Damon asked.

"Cause you were looking for it," Stefan replied knowingly. Clearly he had a better idea of what Damon was planning than Sarah. She hadn't even known that her brother was looking for their father's journal. She hadn't even been sure the book still existed until right this moment.

"And why would I want it?" That was exactly what Sarah wanted to know.

"Gee, I don't know, Damon. Maybe you wanna do a little of posthumous bonding. Go ahead. Enjoy it. Read it. I have. Nowhere in it does it say anything about Katherine, or the tomb, or how to open it." Sarah could hear Damon casually flicking through the pages and just hoped that Stefan knew what he was doing. She knew her brother didn't want the tomb opened either but handing over whatever Damon was after was a dangerous thing to do. Stefan could have read through the book a hundred times and think it was fine but after one read, Damon could easily find what he was looking for and Stefan would be none the wiser.

"I'm not surprised. Man could barely spell his own name."

"I'm really sorry that it won't be of any help with your diabolical plan, the sequel." Stefan paused before then continuing with, "You know, I could help you."

 _What?!_ Sarah screamed internally. She couldn't believe what her brother was saying. She knew he didn't hate Katherine as much as she did but he still hated her and couldn't understand why he would let her out. Sarah could literally picture Lexi turning in her grave right now. If she was here Stefan would be getting beaten left, right and centre along with Damon for even suggesting such a thing.

"You? Help me? Eh, I don't know. Seems a little unnatural." Damon then gasped over dramatically before adding, "And what would Sarah think."

"Sarah doesn't need to know. This can just be between you and me. I will do anything to get you out of this town. Even release Katherine." Sarah understood where Stefan was coming from but she still couldn't believe he was actually saying it. She wished Lexi was still alive to help her set him straight. Why did he suddenly think releasing Katherine was an option when all the woman brought them was pain and suffering?

"You do realise that if I leave, you break our little sister's heart and her dream of reuniting this family," Damon pointed out as he leaned forwards in his chair.

"I do." Sarah was almost in tears but managed to hold them back if only not to be discovered.

"And what about the other twenty-six vampires?" Damon added.

"They can't come. They have to stay put, but Katherine, I would consider that." Sarah covered her mouth, desperately trying to hold back a cry as small tears began trailing down her checks. Once again Katherine was playing with them all, pitting them against one another and laughing as she turned Sarah's brothers against her.

"What are you doin'? Hmm? What's your angle?" Damon pressed, unable to believe his brother was willing to help him.

"Think about it."

"Why would I trust you?"

"See that's your problem, Damon. You apply all of your shortcomings to everybody else. If history's any indication, there's only one liar among us." That was the last thing either of Sarah's brothers said. There was an exchange of facial features but Sarah couldn't see and then Stefan left the room.

Wiping the tears from her now hard checks Sarah took in a quiet breath of air before dashing off silently into the house. She then waited up in Stefan's room until her brother finally started climbing the stairs to his room. No doubt he was coming to make another entry in his journal or to collect his jacket that was hung over his chair.

Sarah waited until Stefan was completely through the door and then pounced. She dove towards him from the side and before he knew what was going on he was pinned to the ground.

"How could you!" Sarah screamed into Stefan's face. He wasn't scared, just surprised by his sister's sudden attack. "For weeks you've been lecturing me about trust and then you go and stab me in the back!"

"Sarah, listen to me-"

"No! If you want to line with Damon then that's fine, but I will never let you release Katherine. I will die before I let her back out into the world. But if Damon being gone forever and your happiness with Elena mean more than your own sister then I am done with you!" Sarah shouted into her brother's face before suddenly vanishing in a blur out the door.

She ran out of the house and into the forest, stopping against a tree truck as the tears started to come flying out. She dropped her head against the tree and gasped as tears dropped to the ground below. It was too hard, to think that Stefan had turned on her as well. The pain was too much. For the second time in a matter of weeks Sarah found herself wanting to turn off her humanity but she knew she couldn't.

She cursed Lexi beneath her heavy breaths. Cursed her for being dead for abandoning her when she needed her most and for making sure she could never turn her humanity off. At the time it had seemed like such a good idea but now she didn't care. Her brothers were both against her and her dream of reuniting her family was fading away along with Lexi. She banged her fist against the tree but the will to fight was leaving her. She didn't want to fight her brothers but she couldn't help them free Katherine. It went against everything inside her.

But she had to keep fighting. She had to pick herself up and follow her brothers, making sure that they didn't successed in freeing Katherine. They may not see it, but she was doing it for all their sakes and hopefully one day, when they were a family again, they'd understand.

* * *

Searching through Sarah's room sized closet, Scarlett was desperately searching for a fifties dress to wear to the school party. Luckily when she came in Sarah hadn't been long behind and when Scarlett asked her, Sarah was more than happy to let her borrow anything from her closet. Only problem was that Sarah's closet wasn't organised in the best sense though the vampire claimed to know where everything went. When Sarah had led her inside she pointed her to two railings filled to the brink with dresses which were apparently all from the fifties.

Finally Scarlett came across a blue dress with a tiny white anchor pattern all over and a thick white belt that went around the chest. Considering it was the best thing she'd see since starting her search she grabbed it from the rail and returned to her own room to get ready.

Thanks to her heightened hearing she could hear Damon mumbling to himself down in the library. Natural he wasn't saying a lot since Sarah could also be listening in on him. Scarlett just tuned him out and went back to getting ready. Luckily she had a pair of flat sneakers that went with the dress rather than the heels that she'd found with the dress. Scarlett was not a fan of heels.

"So who are you all dressed up for?" Scarlett turned on her heels, the end of her dress raising and falling as she did, reminding her of all those old musicals her mom had shown her once. Scarlett then stared at her doorway where Sarah was leaning in with a curious smile on her lips. Her green eyes searching through Scarlett's brown until she knew it was for a boy.

"Nobody," Scarlett said as she pushed down the sides of her dress, hoping to stop it from rising up next time she did a one-eighty turn. From the smile still on Sarah's lips Scarlett knew the vampire wasn't deterred by her answer.

"You sure? I'm pretty sure I heard something about, Jeremy, being at this party." As Sarah stepped into the room Scarlett did her best not to blush and too keep her face straight. But clearly something got out by the slight increase in Sarah's smile.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to tease you," Sarah said as walked over to Scarlett, looking her up and down. "Just be careful tonight and don't..." Sarah looked over her shoulder but despite not seeing anything still reframed from saying the words. "You know," Sarah finally muttered quietly so that an eavesdropping Damon wouldn't know what they were talking about.

"I won't. Although this thing certainly seems to help," Scarlett said as she held up her necklace for Sarah to see.

"Well, keep it safe then," Sarah said as she pushed Scarlett's hand down so that the necklace was left hanging around her neck. Scarlett nodded back and Sarah smiled. "Now go and enjoy a normal party. Text me when it's over and I'll come and get you."

"What are you going to do?" Scarlett asked as the two walked out of her room.

"I'm going to be making life difficult for my brothers."


	13. Unpleasantville

_Thanks for all the favourites and follows you guys! And don't forget to leave a review if your enjoying the_ _story!_

* * *

 **Chapter 13: Unpleasantville**

* * *

It wasn't long after Scarlett left that Sarah and Damon both got a call from Stefan asking them to come over to Elena's. He had to use Elena's phone since he'd apparently left his own at home. Sarah hadn't been too keen to go along with Damon, considering both her brothers were now working together to free Katherine. For all she knew Elena was in on it and she'd be walking into a trap.

After overcoming her doubts, she met Damon down in the hallway and hopped in his car before the two drove over to Elena's. Once there Stefan explained that when he'd arrived a vampire had been about to bite Elena but he'd managed to save her. Unfortunately he hadn't been fast enough to stop him from escaping.

As Stefan finished explaining what they already knew Damon paced back and forth in the living room. Stefan and Elena had taken up one of the couches and Sarah was keeping her distance as she leaned in against the archway that led to the front hall.

"How did he get in?" Damon asked once Stefan was finished. Sarah lightly rolled her eyes. _Vampire one-o-one Damon, a vampire can't come in unless he's invited in. Therefore the vampire must have been invited in._ Elena then provided the appropriate answer which they all knew anyway.

"He posed as a pizza delivery guy last night," Stefan elaborated.

"Smart," Sarah said. The first thing she'd actually said since walking in. Both Stefan and Elena looked over their shoulders at her but Sarah didn't give them eye contact. She was still mad at Stefan for siding with Damon over the whole Katherine thing and now was not the time to get into a fight over it.

"He gets points for that," Damon agreed bringing Stefan and Elena's attention back to him. However Elena's eyes lingered on Sarah for a moment, clearly sensing there was something wrong but followed Stefan's gaze anyways.

"Did he say what he wanted?" Damon asked.

"No. He was too busy trying to kill me," Elena said still shaking from the near death experience.

"And you have no idea who this is?" Stefan asked eyeing his brother.

"No." Stefan continued to stare at his brother, unconvinced that he was telling the truth. "Don't look at me like that. I told you we had company," Damon said as if he'd done all he could to stop this from happening.

"You think there's more than one?" Elena asked.

"We don't know," Damon admitted as he sat on down on the arm of the couch that Elena and Stefan were seated on.

"Damon, he was invited in," Stefan said leaning forwards and locking eyes with his brother, making sure he knew how serious this was. Damon nodded, showing he understood.

"Then we go get him tonight." Damon turned to Elena and asked, "You up for it?"

"What do I have to do?"

"Let your boyfriend take you to the dance. We'll see who shows up," Damon explained causally.

"That's a bad idea," Stefan said sternly.

"Not the worst one I've heard today," Sarah muttered. Once again everyone looked over at her but she refused to look their way. She was only here to help protect Elena so that she remained in her brother's good books. When they realised she wasn't going to say anything more they went back to talking.

"Till we get him, this house isn't safe," Damon pointed out before looking directly at Elena. "For anyone who lives in it. It's worth a shot."

"I'll do it," Elena said as she turned to Stefan. When he gave her an uncomfortable look Elena grabbed his hand, tightly squeezing it. "I'll be with the three of you. I'll be safe." Stefan nodded to show his agreement but the concern didn't leave his face.

"Great, let's get this over with them," Sarah said as she pushed off the wall and made for the door.

"The voice of inspiration," Damon called mockingly from the living room. Sarah could practically picture him with his smug smile spread across his face. She didn't give him the satisfaction of a reply as she opened the door and walked out onto the porch.

Not that long later the four walked into the fifties dance, surrounded by dressed up and dancing teenagers. While Elena and Stefan blended with the teens and Damon was passable as a chaperone, Sarah stood out. She wore what she always wore, jeans and her leather jacket. She was in no mood to get dressed up and despite the happy atmosphere Sarah was determined to remain angry with her brothers.

"I'm going to go and talk to Bonnie and Caroline," Elena said to Stefan over the sound of the music and ideal chatter. Stefan nodded and Elena made her way over to join her friends while the Salvatore siblings looked around for the vampire that had attacked Elena. There was no doubt in their minds that he'd show.

Damon wondered off into the crowed and Sarah took off in another direction while Stefan remained in sight of Elena. It made sense. He could alert his brother and sister if anyone suspicious came near Elena. And if someone tried to grab her then they'd quickly find themselves surrounded by the three Salvatores.

Still wondering around the gym hall, Sarah spotted Damon again as he walked up to Bonnie and Caroline with his usual charismatic smile.

"Hi, Bonnie. Wanna dance?" Damon asked, holding out his hand towards Bonnie as Sarah approached him from behind. Before she even arrived Bonnie had muttered her reply and she and Caroline had fled the area.

"Where'd they go?" Elena asked as she and Stefan approached Damon, coming to a stop next to Sarah as the eldest Salvatore turned around to face them.

"I don't know," Damon said with a shrug.

"What did you say to them?" Stefan asked, knowing his brother had almost definitely annoyed Elena's friends.

"I was perfectly polite."

"Somehow I doubt that," Sarah muttered as she folded her arms and locked eyes with Damon. He didn't waver in his confident stance, suggesting he might have been telling the truth but Sarah considered everything that came out of his mouth a lie at the moment. She couldn't trust anything Damon or Stefan said, not until she made sure Katherine would never return.

"Elena, would you like to dance?" Damon asked, eyes moving onto the teenager.

"I would love to." Sarah was genuinely taken aback by Elena's answer so much that she turned to the girl with wide eyes. When Sarah saw her smiling she thought for a moment Damon might have been compelling her but then she turned to Stefan and said, "May I have this dance?"

Sarah did her best not to laugh as Stefan took Elena's hand and led her to the dance floor. She shot Damon a smug look as she left and Sarah watched as the two began to dance.

"Looks like I'm stuck with you then." Sarah looked over to see Damon at her side holding out his hand, asking her to dance. Sarah just shook her head, her black hair swaying with her. She couldn't dance with Damon; she couldn't even stand to be around him at the moment. So instead she just walked off while Damon watched his brother and Elena dance in amongst the crowd.

* * *

Scarlett frowned when she spotted Sarah wondering around the hall. When Scarlett had asked the vampire if she was coming Sarah had told her she was giving the party a skip but now here she was. It wasn't until a few minutes later when Scarlett spotted the Salvatore brothers and she knew why Sarah was here. She was keeping close to her brothers and Scarlett had no intention on interrupting her. Besides, she was at the party for her own reasons.

She walked around the hall, following the wall until she spotted Jeremy stood a drinks table, serving drinks to the waiting and thirsty dancers. Despite the fact that he was working, he seemed to be having a good time and was smiling away politely at everyone. It made Scarlett smile herself. Despite not having liked Jeremy at first, she had to admit she was warming up to the Gilbert boy.

"Hey, Jeremy," Scarlett said as she walked behind the table to join the teenager.

"Scarlett? I didn't think you'd be here," Jeremy said, clearly happy to see her. That renewed Scarlett's belief that Jeremy still had a crush on her. She hadn't seen him smile like that when Anna was around. That was the smile he only had when she was around.

"Well I heard that you were working and I figured I could keep you company," Scarlett said with, what was for her, a friendly smile.

"You won't hear me complaining," Jeremy said before pouring another drink and handing it off to one of the waiting dancers. He then returned his attention to Scarlett and frowned when he noticed the necklace around her neck.

"Is that a new necklace?" Jeremy asked as he looked at the black crystal around Scarlett's neck.

"Yeah," Scarlett said as she wrapped her hand around the necklace. "It was my mom's."

"Oh. Well it looks nice on you," Jeremy said with a thin but heart filled smile to Scarlett. She blushed before pushing a strand of her black hair behind her ear.

"You neglected to mention this was a theme party." Scarlett looked over along with Jeremy to see a familiar short, black haired girl walking over towards Jeremy.

"What are you doing here?" Jeremy asked, though he clearly didn't care enough to tell her to leave. Scarlett frowned to herself as she eyed Anna who was smiling up at Jeremy as he spoke.

"Well, seeing as you also neglected to invite me, I took matters into my own hands," Anna explained in a playful tone.

"You're doin' that thing again."

"What thing would that be?" Anna asked in a very flirtatious tone making Scarlett clench her fists. She knew she had to be careful not to accidently trigger her werewolf powers but she couldn't help but be angry at Anna for flirting with Jeremy.

"That thing where you pretend we're dating, even though we're not." Scarlett was relieved to hear Jeremy say that but hide it well from the others.

"Oh, you mean stalking," Anna said sarcastically before laughing. "Get over yourself. Come on. I've never been to a school dance before. Humour me." Seeing her chance to slot herself into the conversation, Scarlett side stepped towards Jeremy and cleared her throat before speaking.

"Who's this?" Scarlett asked as the two teens looked over towards her.

"Uh, right. Scarlett, this is Anna. Anna, this is Scarlett," Jeremy introduced the two.

"Nice to meet you," Anna said as she shook Scarlett's hand. Scarlett didn't respond but managed to force herself to smile at the girl. She was still convinced something was off about her but wasn't going to do anything until she was one-hundred percent sure. Mostly because she didn't want to embarrass herself in front of Jeremy. So for now she'd try and be as casual as possible until she could corner Anna and get the truth out of her.

* * *

Sarah was leaning against the wall watching Stefan and Elena as they danced. She could see Damon off to her left, stood watching the two as well. The vampire wouldn't be able to take them out, not without drawing attention to himself and if he went for Elena then at least one of the Salvatores would see him.

"Hey there." Sarah looked to her right to find Jenny standing beside her and smiled at the friendly face.

"Hi," Sarah replied as she looked Jenna up and down, taking in her fifties themes outfit. "Nice outfit."

"Thanks. But why aren't you dressed in the style?" Jenna asked a playful frown.

Sarah shrugged before saying, "I did the fifties thing once. Wasn't a fan of it." Jenna chuckled to herself and shook her head, her ponytail bouncing from one side to the other as she did.

"You and I, very different people." Sarah smiled as Jenna continued on about how she loved the old decades and how she had loved coming to school at Mystic Falls High. It was nice talking Jenna. Bar the obvious age different Sarah found Jenna really easy to talk to. Again she was reminded about how lucky Elena was to have someone like her as a guardian. No doubt she had her flaws that Sarah was yet to see but on the outside Jenna seemed like a good person. But Sarah knew more than anyone that outwards appearances could be very deceiving.

After Jenna had finished and left to go find Alaric, who Sarah was certain Jenna had a crush on by the fact she wouldn't stop talking about him after she'd finished with her high school life, Sarah begun to move on around the room. She found Damon right as Alaric was leaving him. By the time Sarah had focused her hearing he was already walking away so she walked up to her brother's side and came to a stop beside him. Both stared out onto the dance floor for a moment, not saying anything as they stood side by side with their arms folded.

"I don't like him," Damon said suddenly. Sarah knew he was talking about Alaric. She had to admit she wasn't entirely sure about him either. She hadn't seen him much recently. She'd been busy dealing with the fact that her brothers were leaving, though now they seemed to be staying, and Scarlett's new powers. But what Sarah hadn't forgotten was the ring around Alaric's finger.

Thinking about that now she wondered if he was the vampire that had attacked Elena. But Elena had seen his face when he delivered the pizza to her and she would have recognised Alaric from history class. That didn't mean he wasn't a vampire though, he just might not be the vampire trying to kill Elena. Sarah contemplated bring it up but then decided against it. Giving Stefan and Damon a possible target right now wouldn't help Elena and could possible put Jenna in danger as well. So for now she would be quiet.

"You don't like anyone," Sarah muttered back.

She continued looking ahead, eyes scanning the crowd for any possible vampires, but Damon turned his head almost ninety degrees to stare at Sarah. His eyes narrowed on his sister as if trying to read her thoughts. But she was too smart to let her brother into her head.

"So I had a little talk with Stefan," Damon began as he turned back to the dancing students. "I hear you're not too happy about us teaming up."

"If you call Stefan helping you free Katherine a team up, then yeah. I'm not too happy about it," Sarah replied, glancing at Damon out the corner of her eye before moving back to the dance floor.

"I thought this was what you wanted," Damon said as he leaned over. Sarah could already picture his signature smug grin as he spoke. "For us to work together. Why not help us. Like a family?"

Sarah turned to face Damon, looking him right in the eye as she said, "Katherine is never getting out that tomb." Damon's grin dropped to a frown and he pulled back.

"We'll see," Damon snarled before they went back to silently observing the dance floor.

* * *

Scarlett watched from behind the table as Anna navigated through the crowd of dancers holding three stacks of plastic cups close to her chest. It was nice that she was helping out even though she didn't have to, but Scarlett was still weary despite how friendly she was being.

"You alright?" Scarlett looked over to her side to find Jeremy cosying up next to her. She smiled a little and everted her gaze for a moment before looking up into his eyes.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Scarlett answered. For a moment she just stared at him while he smiled back at her. She really was starting to care for him. She thought he was about to lean in but then heard a sigh and both looked over the table to find Anna had returned.

"Here you go," Anna said handing over the stacks of cups. Jeremy took two stacks with a friendly smile and Scarlett took the other.

"You don't go to school here. You know, you don't have to help," Jeremy pointed out as he put the stacks of cups with the other.

"Scarlett doesn't have to help either, but it's kinda fun, right Scarlett?" Anna said before looking to Scarlett for conformation. Despite the fact that Scarlett didn't want to agree with Anna and everything inside of her was telling her to attack her, Scarlett nodded her head and put on another forced smile.

"Oh, um, yeah. Before I forget," Anna continued as she turned her attention back to Jeremy.

"Can I borrow your ancestor's journal?" Scarlett frowned at the mention of the journal. This was the first she was hearing about it but from Anna's heart rate Scarlett knew it was important to her for some reason.

"Why?" Jeremy asked as he continued pouring drinks.

"You said I could read it," Anna said with a shy smile.

"Uh, I don't have it," Jeremy said as he handed off a cup of punch to another student. From his heart rate Scarlett could tell he was being honest. That only made her more curious as to why Anna wanted this journal so badly, especially if Jeremy didn't seem to think it was a big deal.

"Oh. Well, obviously you didn't bring it here, uh, but I can walk you home."

"I could come too," Scarlett added quickly, not fond of Jeremy being alone with Anna any more than he already had been. Plus if she went to Jeremy's with them it would give her more time to get to know Anna and maybe find out what the big deal was with the journal she was after.

"No. I mean, I gave it to my history teacher," Jeremy then explained.

"Wait, why did you give it to him?" Anna asked her voice suddenly very alert. Although Jeremy didn't pick it up Scarlett did.

"Because he wanted to read it," Jeremy answered nonchalantly.

"You know, you shouldn't be giving that to just anybody," Anna said nervously. Scarlett narrowed her eyes, watching Anna thought the conversation. The small girl seemed to have forgotten Scarlett was even there as she was so focused on Jeremy's journal.

"But I should give it to you?" Jeremy asked with a good hearted smile back to Anna, but she wasn't happy like Jeremy. She was worried, Scarlett could tell from her heart rate.

"Loan. Loan it to me," Anna suggested following Jeremy as he moved up and down the table.

"Well, I loaned it to Mr Saltzman," Jeremy replied.

"Maybe he's in his classroom. We can get it back," Anna said frantically as she leaned on the table between them.

"What's the big deal with this stupid journal?" Jeremy asked as he looked back at Anna. Then his face turned from a light hearted look to a confused and concerned one. But Scarlett's eyes just went wide when she saw what was happening. Anna's eyes were transforming, the whites becoming blood red, and Scarlett only knew three people whose eyes looked like that. And they were all vampires.

"Your eye," Jeremy said as Anna turned away. He was about to reach over to comfort her but Scarlett grabbed him arm and pulled it back. Jeremy gave her a confused look but Scarlett was too focused on Anna to reply, watching in case she suddenly turned back around and decided to attack Jeremy.

It had to be her, she had to be the vampire that had been following Elena and now she was after Jeremy because of some journal. No doubt it had something to do with this Katherine woman everyone kept talking about but Scarlett didn't care about that right now. Her priority was protecting Jeremy from this vampire.

"Um, there's something in it," Anna lied without looking back. "Forget it. I... I gotta go," Anna said before walking off into the crowd.

"I'm gonna go and make sure she's alright," Scarlett quickly explained to Jeremy. He nodded to show he understood before serving out more punch as Scarlett made her way around the table. Pushing through the crowd Scarlett could still smell Anna' scent but it was getting weaker and harder to follow.

"Move," Scarlett snapped at the people that continued to get in her way. Eventually she cut through crowd and made her way out of the hall and into the corridors. It was easier to track Anna in the hallways, less smells to confuse her. Scarlett had been lucky she managed to follow Anna out of the hall, what with all the other scents. She would have to work on her new abilities once this was all over.

"What are you doing here?" Scarlett's hearing had kicked in, but the voice wasn't one she recognised.

"Trying to get the journal, as in sticking to the plan, something you're not doing," Anna snapped back. Scarlett couldn't tell were the two were but at least she was able to eavesdrop on Anna's conversation. In hopes of finding the mysterious woman, Scarlett continued on down the hallways.

Next Anna sighed before saying, "Leave the girl alone."

"I like her. She looks like Katherine." There it was again. That name that Scarlett kept hearing. She really did need to get the full back story from Sarah about this infamous woman.

"She's not Katherine. Okay, Katherine is in the tomb," Anna replied.

"I know, but until we open that tomb. I got her to play with." Scarlett could hear the dark playfulness in his voice. It made her shudder, worrying for Elena's safety. She half thought about running back and getting Sarah and the others but was too focused on the conversation to turn away.

"Don't be stupid. That girl is with the Salvatores," Anna said, clearly irritated with whoever she was talking to.

"They don't scare me. They never have."

"Please, Noah. Don't do this. You're gonna ruin everything," Anna begged to her companion, who Scarlett now knew as Noah.

"You got nothing to worry about. I'm not gonna let anything happen to you. You will get what you came for." Scarlett instantly focused on Anna's goal. He hadn't said what it was but Scarlett was sure it had something to do with the Gilberts and that could mean Jeremy was in danger. She had to stop Anna before she got close to Jeremy again, otherwise he might not survive their next encounter.

"Just let me have my fun." There was a pause before Noah then said, "She looks like Katherine," and then there was silence. The two must have parted ways.

Scarlett new she should go and tell everything she'd just hear to Sarah and the others but her thoughts were so focused on the potential danger Jeremy was in that she couldn't stop herself from breaking into a sprint. She managed to stop herself from using her supernatural speed but that might have been because of the dress she was wearing. All she was thinking about was getting to Anna before she got back to Jeremy.

* * *

Sarah let out a bored and tired sigh. She was across the room from Elena and Stefan who had taken a break from dancing to grab some punch. As for Damon he'd compelled himself a cute blonde to dance with, which Sarah was doing her best not to watch. She knew if she did she would laugh and she was determined to remain stone faced mad for the rest of the night.

Then suddenly she caught Stefan pushing through the crowd before running out the room. The vampire must have exposed himself. Damon was still too busy dance to have noticed what was going on. Sarah was about to run out after her brother when she caught the sound of a phone ringing.

She knew it was Elena's phone, she'd heard the ring before. Her eyes scanned the dance floor until they landed on Elena who was answering her phone.

"Hello, Elena." It had to be the vampire. He'd distracted Stefan and now had Elena alone, or so he thought. No doubt he had eyes on Elena but neither she nor the vampire had made Sarah yet. She stood still, pretending to look around, while she continued to listen in on Elena's phone call.

"Here's what you're going to do. There's an exit door behind you." Sarah quickly looked over and once she identified the door the vampire was talking about she returned to her mindless searching. "You have five seconds."

"No," Elena snapped back into her phone.

"Or your brother dies," the vampire replied threateningly.

Both Elena and Sarah's heads snapped over towards the punch table where Jeremy was working. There a few feet from Jeremy stood a young man on his phone. It wasn't a long shot for Sarah to guess he was the vampire, but to do anything now would only cause a scene and more problems. She had to let him play his game until he had Elena alone, then she would kill him.

Sarah briefly wondered where Scarlett had gone but the vampire's voice snapped her from her worried thoughts. Besides, Scarlett was a werewolf and more than capable of looking after herself. Sarah's priority at the moment was to kill this vampire.

"I can snap his neck so fast I bet there's not even a witness." Sarah rolled her eyes at that. He was bluffing, but obviously Elena wasn't willing to take that chance. There was no way this vampire could kill Jeremy without a single person noticing and causing a scene.

"Now start walking," the vampire ordered to Elena who did as told. Sarah started to move. She couldn't follow Elena directly so she was going to run around and cut off the vampire before he could catch up to Elena.

When she saw Elena start to run out the door Sarah took off out another. Luckily the hallway she ran into was empty allowing her to use her vamp speed to catch up to Elena and the vampire. She zipped around the hallways until she reached the spot where Elena would pass through. There was no sign of her.

Then Sarah turned around when she heard the sound of banging doors that wouldn't open. It had to be Elena. After focusing her hearing and picking up on Elena's deep breathing, Sarah took off down the hallway until she reached the small cafeteria that Elena and the vampire where in.

She found that Elena was already pinned against the wall with the vampire pressed up against her. Sarah ran over at vamp speed then quickly grabbed the vampire by the back of his collar and threw him across the room.

"Back off," Sarah warned as she turned to face the vampire who was already back on his feet. "What do you want with her?" Sarah asked, standing protectively between the vampire and Elena.

"Why do you care?" the vampire snapped back.

"I don't," Sarah replied. She knew her answer would hurt Elena's feelings but she had a chance to get some answers and stop her brothers in their quest to save Katherine. She had to take it. "I do care about the tomb though." From the shift in his stance and change in his eyes Sarah could tell he knew something. "Do you know how to get in?"

"No," the vampire answered.

"You're lying," Sarah declared knowingly. The vampire took a worried step back and Sarah took a larger one towards him. She had no choice but to kill him now, if she didn't then her brothers would finally have way into the tomb and would be able to free Katherine.

"Sarah!" Sarah looked over her shoulder to see Elena throwing a wooden mop towards her. She grabbed the mop with one hand then grabbed it with the other before breaking it in two with her knee. She threw aside the mop half, now only holding the sharp wooden stake.

She charged, using her vamp speed, and swung with the stake but the vampire stepped aside and dodged it. Sarah swung again and the vampire leaned backwards once again avoiding Sarah's attempts to kill him. After another swing the vampire grabbed Sarah's stake wielding arm and threw her around him and into the wall.

With Sarah dazed the vampire turned on Elena and ran at her. He grabbed her neck and was just about to sink his fangs into her when Stefan grabbed him from behind and threw him to the floor. Seeing a chance to kill him once and for all, Sarah recovered her balance and leapt through the air, stake raised above her head and when she was just about to plunge it into his chest Stefan swung out his arm and knocked Sarah back down.

The stake flew from her hand as she landed on the floor but she immediately used her speed to get back up to her feet, glaring at Stefan as she did. Catching the blurry movement of the vampire opposite them they looked back over to see him back on his feet also.

"Hey, dickhead." The vampire looked over his shoulder to see Damon stood behind him, the stake that Sarah had once held in his hand now. Sarah groaned under her breath. Now killing the vampire was going to be even harder since her brothers clearly wanted to talk to with him.

"Nobody wants to kill you," Damon began, relaxing his stake wielding hand.

"I want to kill him," Sarah snarled as the vampire turned to look at the deadly glare Sarah was giving him.

"Sarah," Damon groaned right before the vampire tried to run past Stefan and Sarah. Damon threw the stake to Stefan who swiftly stepped in the vampires path and then stabbed the stake into the vampire's lower chest. He dropped to his knees and Sarah saw another chance. She reached to pull out the stake and finish the job but in the blink of an eye, Stefan was behind her, holding her back, arms held behind her.

"Let me go! Let me go!" Sarah snapped as she tried to break free, but he had too good a hold on her.

"Calm down, Sis. We just want to ask the man a few questions," Damon said, clearly enjoying himself as he smiled at Sarah, while she struggled against Stefan.

"Go to Hell, Damon," Sarah snapped at her brother. Damon smirked at her before turning back around to face the vampire who was stuck on his knees thanks to the stake in his chest.

"Now you feel like talkin'?" Damon asked as he knelt down to the vampire's level.

"Screw you," the vampire snapped. Damon smiled back before grabbing the stake and pushing it further into the vampire making him squirm in pain.

"Wrong answer. Why are you doing this?" Damon asked.

"Don't tell him anything," Sarah ordered from behind, Stefan still holding her while Elena watched everything, a few feet from the vampires.

"Because it's fun," the vampire answered. Damon pushes the stake further in, this time the vampire groaned aloud in pain.

"What do you want with her?" Damon demanded.

"She looks like Katherine."

"You knew Katherine?" Damon asked, a little caught off guard.

"Oh. You thought you were the only ones." He started to laugh before it became painful and then continued. "You don't even remember me."

"Tell me how to get in the tomb," Damon said as he leaned in close to the vampire.

"Don't you dare!" Sarah shouted.

"No," the vampire answered. Damon then started to twist the stake inside the vampire, making him groan even louder in pain.

"Don't tell him anything! If you do I promise I will kill you and make sure you suffer!" Sarah shouted threateningly at the vampire, trying to scare him into not answering her brother. But clearly the pain of the stake in his chest was worse than the thought of what Sarah might do to him.

"The grimoire," the vampire finally answered and Damon released his grip on the stake.

"Where is it?" Damon asked.

"Check the journal. The journal. Jonathan's journal. Jonathan Gilbert's," the vampire answered frantically, despite to end his torture.

Sarah stopped struggling in Stefan's hold. It was over. Her brothers knew how to free Katherine. There was nothing more she could do right now. Other than beat them to the journal. But now she was angry, fuelled by rage because this vampire had single handily ruined her family once and for all. He'd torn them all apart for good now that he'd told Damon how to free Katherine. He destroyed her dream.

"Who else is working with you?" Stefan asked, still holding Sarah in case she tried something but he was pretty sure the fight had left her.

"Who else is there?" Damon asked when the vampire didn't answer.

"No," he said defiantly. "You're gonna have to kill me." Damon looks over to Stefan and rolls his eyes before nodding. Stefan then released Sarah who stared at the vampire for a moment. He stared back, contemplating what she had promised him moments ago.

Then in a flurry of movements Sarah grabbed the stake form the vampire's chest and stabbed him several times. He screamed in pain as the wood continually pierced his skin, leaving behind splitters that burned up his insides. Sarah kept stabbing until she'd gotten every part of his body and then finally sent the stake through his heart.

"I hope your suffering is eternal," Sarah snarled right before the life left his eyes and his skin turned grey. She let go of the limp body and it collapsed to the floor. It was only when Sarah stood back up that Elena began to speak.

"What do we...how are you gonna find the others now?" Elena stammered as both Stefan and Damon turned around to face her. But Sarah continued to look down at the dead vampire. Glaring at him as if her hatred would be enough to grate him an eternity of suffering with the devil himself.

"He had to die," Damon said simply.

"But..." Elena began to say before Stefan interrupted.

"Elena, he's been invited in," he said as if that explained everything, which in truth it did. Once a vampire is invited in the only way to take that away is to change owner ship of the house. And killing the vampire was a lot easier than convincing a vervain filled Jenna to change the deed of the house to someone else.

All four then looked towards the door when they heard a noise and watched as Alaric turned away and began to quickly walk off.

"Go. I got this," Stefan said. Damon nodded before heading out after Alaric. A few seconds after Damon left Sarah began to walk out as well. "Where are you going?" Stefan asked as Sarah pushed open the door.

"I'm going to get Scarlett," Sarah muttered back as she stepped out, the door closing behind her.

* * *

Looking over her shoulder Anna continued on walking at a brisk pace down the empty and dark hallways. She had been fortunate in that Noah hadn't given her away to the Salvatore siblings. He may have died but at least he protected her. But now they all knew how to get into the tomb, the same tomb she was trying to get into.

She couldn't have done anything to stop them from finding out though. Sooner or later they were bound to. She didn't blame Noah for giving up the information, but that didn't mean she hated him a little for doing so. It was his own stupid fault for getting himself caught. If he'd just done what Anna had told him then they'd still be ahead of the Salvatores. Now they were in direct competition with her.

The small vampire came to an abrupt stop when someone stepped out in front of her. For a split second she thought it was Sarah Salvatore but then she took a better look and realised it was in fact Scarlett. She let out a quiet sigh of relief but then suddenly found herself pinned against the lockers. She looked up at Scarlett who had bared teeth and gold irises with black backgrounds.

It took Anna a second to realise what it was she was in fact looking at and then her eyes widened. But what was happening was impossible. It wasn't a full moon but here Scarlett was somehow using the full strength of a werewolf. She had to be otherwise Anna would be able to overpower her easily.

In that moment fear and instinct took over. She didn't know what was going on but she knew what a werewolf bite meant for her and with Scarlett in this strange state Anna wasn't willing to risk it.

She brought her knee up into Scarlett's chest forcing the girl to lose her grip and stagger backwards. With the werewolf caught off balance Anna attempted to escape with her vamp speed but before she could even get out the hallway she was grabbed from behind and then thrown to the ground. She slid across the floor before finally stopping and looking back down to see Scarlett advancing towards her. The teenage werewolf was a black shape with only the glow of her eyes visible.

It had been a long time since Anna had been terrified to her core, but she was now. She watched with wide eyes as the werewolf rose a hand, now a claw, ready to slash her. Luckily for Anna, instinct kicked in and before Scarlett could attack Anna kicked her square in the chest forcing her back.

Then using her speed, Anna got to her feet while Scarlett recovered. She once again swung with her claws but Anna again used her speed to get behind the wolf and then shoved her against the lockers, carefully to make sure her arms weren't in biting range. A threatening growl bounced off the lockers, making them tremble beneath Scarlett. The cracking off bones and the twisting of limbs told Anna it was time to go. She wouldn't be able to keep Scarlett down if her transformation begun, she'd be too uncontrollable, and if by some miracle Anna didn't get bit during the change she definitely would after. So Anna did the only thing she could think off. She slammed Scarlett's head against the locker, momentarily stunning her before making her escape in blur of speed.

By the time Scarlett had turned around, Anna was already gone.

"Crap," Scarlett sighed beneath her breath. Now Anna was onto her and she'd given away the element of surprise and she had nothing to show for it. Her only constellation was that perhaps when she was around Jeremy, Anna would avoid them.

"Scarlett." The teenager turned to look down the other end of the hallway to find Sarah walking towards her. "What the hell are you doing?" Sarah demanded, gesturing to Scarlett's more wolf like features.

"I was-"

"You promised you weren't going to...wolf out," Sarah said for lack of a better word. Once she finished Scarlett took a deep calming breath and relaxed. A tingle passed through her wolf like features as the slowly shifted back into their human form. It was still a strange feeling to her, but there was a definitely a thrill or rush when she changed.

"I'm sorry," Scarlett began once she'd finished returning to normal. "But I had to."

"Why?" Sarah demanded with a frown.

"Because of Anna."

"Who's Anna?" Sarah asked.

"She's a vampire," Scarlett answered and Sarah settled, ready to listen to the rest. "She's been trying to get close to Jeremy. Something to do with a journal, I don't know why she wants it, but she does."

"And that's why you changed? Because she wanted the journal or because she was a vampire?" Sarah asked but when she saw Scarlett look away and shrug it donned on her what the real reason was. "Or maybe it was because she was getting close to Jeremy," Sarah pondered aloud.

"I was just protecting him," Scarlett said without looking.

"Or marking your territory," Sarah said with a smile to which Scarlett looked up with a scowl at the vampire.

"Shut up," Scarlett mutter before she began walking off with arms folded. Sarah easily caught up with her and fell into step.

"Sorry," Sarah said genially as they walked around the corner. "What did you say the vampire's name was?"

"Anna," Scarlett answered as she looked to Sarah, still walking. "You think you know her?"

"Don't know," Sarah said with a thinking face. The name did sound familiar but Sarah couldn't find a face to go with it. But after a century of living and interacting with over hundreds of thousands of people it wasn't surprising. Sarah and her brothers had bumped into other vampires from time to time, but none named Anna.

"But I'm guessing this Anna wants what my brothers want."

"Which is to get into the tomb," Scarlett finished prompting Sarah to grin at her companion.

"Someone's been paying attention."

Scarlett shrugged before saying, "Kinda hard not to. I just don't get the big deal about this Katherine chick."

"Well first of she's not a chick. She's a she-devil," Sarah began as they walked out of the school. And for the entire walk home Sarah explained everything about Katherine to Scarlett. Afterwards Scarlett asked a bunch of question, mostly stuff she needed re-explaining, like the basics of vampirism and a few questions about Katherine. Sarah even told her about Lexi and from the way Scarlett smiled as Sarah talked about her, she guessed they would have been good friends if they'd met.

* * *

After having explained everything about Katherine and their history to Scarlett, the girl had decided she had heard enough. Anything else important she could hear tomorrow. She was tired and angry after the fight with Anna because she'd let her get away. Sarah had understood and let her storm off to her room while she retreated to her own. Unfortunately when she walked in she found her brother waiting for her.

"What do you want?" Sarah demanded as she slammed the door behind her.

"I just want to talk and try and make you understand that letting Katherine out is for the best," Stefan said as he stood up from the foot of Sarah's bed and walked over to her. In his hand was a folded piece of paper that he handed over to his sister as he continued to speak. "Damon isn't going to leave forever, just for a while. The time apart will be good and then he and Katherine can come back and we can be a family," Stefan explained as Sarah opened up the piece of paper.

Inside it read, 'Make an excuse to turn the sink'. Sarah looked up at him, a questioning frown forming on her face as Stefan pleaded her to do it with his eyes, still talking away. Sarah rolled her eyes but stepped into her bathroom, turning on the sink before turning back to her brother and folding her arms.

"Alright, now what?" Sarah asked.

"I needed to make sure that Damon couldn't listen in on us," Stefan said as he stepped towards his sister only to stop when she shot him a deadly glare.

"Wait, so you're not on his side?" Sarah asked.

"I'm on the side that doesn't get innocent people killed," Stefan explained as he placed his hands together.

"Sounds like my side," Sarah said as the corners of her lips turned up in a satisfied smiled.

"Look. I'm trying to find a way to stop Damon from ever opening the tomb-"

"Which I could have done tonight if you'd just let me kill the vampire," Sarah exclaimed, her anger flaring again.

"That wasn't permanent. Damon would have eventually found out about the journal from another source and then we'd be in the same predicament we're in now," Stefan explained sternly as he stepped closer to his sister. Sarah scoffed. She knew he was right and being smart, earning Damon's trust by helping him learn about the journal so that he could get close and ultimately stop him. And he'd used Sarah to make it all the more convincing.

"Sarah. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, but I needed it to be believable so that Damon would trust I'm on his side."

"So why tell me now?" Sarah asked.

"Because he trusts me. He also believes that I'm in here trying to talk you into helping us. So now if you act differently he'll hopefully just think your thinking over our offer," Stefan explained, he'd clearly thought this through.

"So what do you need me to do?"

"Just stay close, keep Damon focused on you and off me and Elena."

"Wait, Elena knows," Sarah snapped.

"I couldn't lie to her. But it doesn't matter cause she's onboard, she knows how dangerous Katherine is. She also wanted to thank you for coming to help her tonight," Stefan said a little sheepishly at the end, looking down as Sarah smiled a little. It was nice to know Elena appreciated her efforts to protect her and ignored the harsh words she'd said.

"It's fine. So you just want me to annoy Damon?" Sarah asked.

"Yes. When I need your help to end this, I'll get you. Trust me, Sarah, I won't let Katherine out of that tomb."

"Thank you, Stefan," Sarah said with a sincere smile as she rubbed her brother's arm. "Now to make it convincing," she said with a smirk as she turned off the tap. "Get out! Just get out of my room, Now!" Sarah shouted angrily as she whacked her brother across the face and he staggered backwards. She grinned and winked before advancing on him. She let Stefan out the door before slamming it shut behind him. When she heard Damon chuckle, she knew he'd bought it.


	14. Children of the Damned

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* * *

 **Chapter 14: Children of the Damned**

* * *

Sarah was stood outside in the hallway staring at the door ahead of her. Behind it was her father's study. After strolling around the gardens, her father had taken both Stefan and Damon into his study. Sarah had been following them around but she hadn't caught anything about what they were saying. She knew she would be in trouble if she was caught. She'd learnt when she was younger not to eavesdrop, particularly with her father. The few times she had been caught he'd given her a beating she wouldn't ever forget. She knew that it was wrong, but before her mother had passed she'd always encouraged her to ask questions and find answers. Her father was the complete opposite. Do as your told was his motto.

"Well, well. What are you up too, Sarah Salvatore." Sarah's eyes widened as she turned to find Katherine stood behind her. A lump formed in her throat and she gulped, fear filling her as she started to tremble. "Oh. Don't be scared little Salvatore," Katherine said with a smirk as she ran her hand down Sarah's check. And just like that her fear left her. She didn't understand this power Katherine had over her, how she could make her fall for her in a second and command her like a general did a soldier.

"What's behind that door?" Katherine asked, nodding towards father's study.

"N-N-Noth-Nothing," Sarah stammered out. Despite her fear having vanished, she was still struggling to move. She was once again caught in Katherine's spell.

"Now, Sarah, you know better than to lie to me," Katherine said with a smirk as she leaned in towards Sarah. Her smirk grew when she heard Sarah's heartbeat pick up. She loved to play with her toys. "Tell me what's behind that door," Katherine commanded.

"Father's study," Sarah answered unwillingly. Katherine hummed in interest. But when Sarah heard the door opening behind her she turned around to find her brothers walking out. She looked back over her shoulder to see what Katherine was doing but found she had already disappeared. Sarah was becoming more and more convinced that their guest was a demon. How else could she come and go at such speeds.

With a chance to reach her brothers and the safety they provided, Sarah ran towards them. Katherine had never come after her when they were around. Sarah prayed they were able to fight her demon ways, but the more she saw them together the more infatuated they seemed.

"Sarah," Stefan greeted her as they began to walk through the house.

"Brothers," Sarah greeted in return as she stepped in between them, taking the arms they each offered.

"How can we help you?" Stefan asked.

"What were you talking about with Father?" Sarah inquired, a rare curious expression crossing her face as she looked from brother to brother.

"Vampires," Damon said as his eyebrows shot up. Normally Sarah would have thought he was joking but after the experiences she'd had with Katherine. She could believe in vampires. More to the point it provided an explanation for what Katherine was. "He's planning to kill them all, but obviously he won't be getting anywhere near Katherine. She's to smart for him," Damon said smugly.

So they did know about Katherine. But why weren't they doing anything to stop her. She was a monster, she was manipulating them, playing them against one another. Sarah and her family were just play things to Katherine and her brothers were to blindly in love to see it. But she did and she was going to save them.

"Excuse me, Brothers. I have to find Katherine and give her the good news," Sarah said with a sweeting smile to her brothers as she slid from between them and came to a stop. They waved goodbye to her before continuing on through the house and out to the back garden, leaving Sarah with the best possible chance to warn her father. Finally they'd be rid of Katherine and their lives could return to normal.

Turning on her heels, Sarah ran for her father's study and barged through the door. She knew it was rude and that her father would beat her for what she was doing, but the second she told him about Katherine he'd understand. But her hopes were dashed when she found her father's study empty. He was gone.

For a brief moment, she thought Katherine had taken care of him. Killed him so he couldn't find the other vampires, done it so that she could continue to play with her head and her brothers'.

She turned to run out and then found Katherine in the doorway, with that sinister smile of hers on her lips. She stood their, just as graceful as always, hands clasped together as she stared at Sarah with an evil glint in her eyes. Sarah knew she had no chance of escape. She would have to fight. She reached for the letter opener on her father's desk but before her hand could get even close, Katherine had her wrist held firmly.

"Uh, uh, uh," Katherine said slowly as Sarah turned back to the vampire with wide horrified eyes. "You remember what we talked about?" Sarah nodded her head frantically as Katherine tilted her head to the side, eyeing the youngest Salvatore sibling.

"Oh, Sarah, dear. I wish I could believe that." Before Sarah could blink, Katherine's hands were on the side of her head, holding her still as her eyes began to dilate. "Now, stand still and keep quite," Katherine ordered with her compulsion. Smiling at the frozen girl in front of her Katherine turned and started for the door.

"I know, what you were thinking. You were thinking, I'll tell father and he'll get rid of Katherine," Katherine said aloud as she reached the door, slowly closing it so the two could be alone. "But that's not going to happen, Sarah." She turned back around, her smile now showing her perfect teeth behind her lips. "I'm not going anywhere." She began to walk back over. Sarah tried to run, to scream, to do anything but Katherine had her trapped and at her mercy.

"I just suggested to your father that we play a game of croquet. He's waiting outside for me right now, along with those two handsome brothers of yours," Katherine said, brushing back a strand of Sarah's hair as she did. "And as punishment, your going to wait inside. But don't worry, I'll let you back in on the fun soon enough." Her eyes began to dilate once more. "You will not tell anyone I'm a vampire."

"I will not tell anyone your a vampire," Sarah repeated, her voice a quiet uncontrollable whisper.

"You will stay inside until I tell you otherwise."

"I will stay inside until you tell me otherwise." Katherine smiled.

"Oh, Sarah. The plans I have for you and your family," she giggled, that demonic little giggle of hers, before kissing Sarah. She wanted nothing more than to cry. She didn't want this, any of this, but she had no control. And as Katherine pulled away, she patted Sarah on the cheek, smiling as she turned away and made her way towards the door.

"Enjoy your time out, Sarah," Katherine said over her shoulder as she opened the door and stepped out.

* * *

The nightmare from the past came to an end when Sarah felt a pillow whack against her face. She was sat up in less than a second, vampire features coming out as she hissed at her attacker. Scarlett just stared back at her, unimpressed. Apparently she was adapting to the supernatural a little too well. Either that or she just trusted Sarah enough to know that the vampire wouldn't hurt her.

"Get up," Scarlett said in her usual bluntness as she threw the pillow she was holding back onto Sarah's bed.

"What time is it?" Sarah asked as she rubbed her eyes, swinging her feet out of the bed.

"Past noon. Thought you'd want to know everyone's left the house. So it's just you and me," Scarlett said as she folded her arms and waited for Sarah to get up. "So now you can tell me what's going on."

Sarah looked up at the blue eyed brunette, staring at her for a moment before standing up above her. "The less you know the better."

"So you don't trust me?" Scarlett asked with a raised brow, her voice remaining the same however.

"No. I do. But if Damon suspects something he'll come after you," Sarah explained as she rubbed her brow. She didn't have time for this. She'd fallen behind and she had to get ready before going after Damon. She didn't know what Stefan was up to, but her priority was to keep Damon occupied. Hopefully then she could buy Stefan enough time to find the journal and destroy it.

"I can handle myself," Scarlett said stubbornly.

"I know but-"

"I'm not a kid," Scarlett snapped. "I know, I don't fully understand this werewolf thing. But I'm not afraid of your brothers."

"Scarlett," Sarah said in a raised authoritative voice as she stepped towards the girl. Though Scarlett didn't visibly appear intimidated, Sarah could hear her heartbeat pick up. "I'm trying to protect you here, okay. The less your involved the better."

"I'm already involved though! You brought me into your home, I'm living in between your little family spat and now Jeremy's getting dragged into it!" The last remark seemed to throw Sarah a bit. She knew why it was said she just hadn't expected Scarlett to say it. Anyone could tell the teenager was starting to care for

Jeremy, but she refused to admit it to herself.

"Okay," Sarah said after a pause. "You want to help. Watch Jeremy."

"What?" Scarlett exclaimed as Sarah made her way past her and towards the bathroom.

"You heard me. Watch Jeremy," Sarah said as she closed the door behind her. It took Scarlett a second to open the door again.

Why?" she demanded, poking her head into the tiled room.

Sarah sighed before she began to explain, "Anna wants to get into the tomb. She needs the journal to open the tomb. Anna is trying to use Jeremy to get to the journal. By spending time with Jeremy, you stop Anna from getting the journal," Sarah explained before stripping down and stepping into her shower.

"But she knows what I am now," Scarlett pointed out.

"And that will scare her off…hopefully," Sarah said before turning on the shower. "Now give me a minute to get ready and we'll head over to Elena and Jeremy's. We'll find Jeremy and then I'll go and find my brothers."

"So… I'm a guard dog?" Scarlett asked with a frown.

"Yes," Sarah answered with a smirk.

* * *

When Sarah and Scarlett arrived at the Gilbert home, Sarah smiled when Damon answered the door. It certainly made her job of finding and annoying him a lot easier. She was off to a great start too, judging by the sneer on his face.

"Oh, it's you two," Damon sighed as he tried to close the door, only for Sarah to force it back open.

"Who is it?" Jenna asked as she walked from the kitchen into the hallway. That was when Sarah knew she'd won. Since Jenna was on vervain, thanks to Elena, there was no way for Damon to compel her and since she and Jenna had formed a type of friendship, Damon would have a hard time just using his charms to get Jenna to turn on his sister.

"It's me and Scarlett," Sarah said as she forced the door open, knocking Damon against the wall as he snarled at her.

"Sarah!" Jenna said excitedly as she opened up her arms, wine glass in one hand as she hugged her friend. "What are you doing here. And with Scarlett?" Jenna asked, her parental attitude taking over as she pulled away from Sarah and looked over to Scarlett who was stood behind the Salvatore sister.

"I ran away from home," Scarlett quickly answered as she shoved her hands in her pockets. "Sarah offered me a place to stay and I've been staying with the Salvatores for a while now."

"Yeah, it's been great having her," Damon said with his usual charming smile as he wrapped his arm around Scarlett who shot him a glare. He didn't care though and just kept smiling away as he said, "You know, she's kinda like my ward."

"I'm Sarah's ward if anything," Scarlett snapped protectively to which Jenna laughed.

"Please, Sarah's like two years older than you. She can't be responsible for you," Jenna said as she shook her head.

"She just says that because I'm nicer than Damon," Sarah said before she and Jenna started to laugh.

"Ha. Ha," Damon said dryly as he made his way back into the kitchen, shooting the two woman the stink eye as he passed them. It only made them laugh more.

"So, is Jeremy in?" Scarlett asked. Sarah saw the teenager sniff the air and when she smiled Sarah knew that he in fact was in the house.

"Up stairs. Tell him to come down and join us for dinner," Jenna said.

"How am I supposed to get him to do that?" Scarlett asked as she stopped at the base of the stairs.

"Trust me, he'll listen to you," Jenna said with a smirk before she and Sarah began to laugh again. Scarlett just rolled her eyes and made her way up to Jeremy's room. The two teenagers remained hunkered up in Jeremy's room while Damon continued the meal he had been preparing. Sarah joined Jenna by the counter, watching Damon cook as they drank from a glass of wine each.

Damon had made a whole show about allowing Sarah to drink One glass of wine which Jenna had smiled at as she pour her friend a glass. But she had to seem like a mature roll model so she continually asked Damon if it was okay, since he was the 'legal' guardian of Sarah. Sarah stuck her tongue out at Damon and he chuckled. Being turned at the age of seventeen definitely had it's draw backs. Particularly with the rules around alcohol. Sarah was just glad Jenna was cool with it and not kicking up a fuse like some parents and guardians would.

Then somehow during the discussion they got onto the conversation of past lovers. When Sarah began to talk, Damon then made another over dramatic show of scolding his sister for some of the idiots she'd dated over the past two years. A lie of course, she'd dated hundreds of people but she couldn't tell Jenna that, so she kept the list to the worst three. It was just unfortunate that it gave Damon a chance to put on a show and try and get under her skin. He pissed her off even more when he started talking about his forbidden love for Katherine and how their father disapproved. He didn't mention her by name, but Sarah always knew when someone was talking about Katherine.

"My father never approved of anyone I date, which only made me want them more. Of course," Damon said as he looked up from the tomatoes he was slicing while Jenna and Sarah sat on the counter watching him.

"He's a bit of whore that way," Sarah said with a smirk to Jenna as she sipped on her wine. Jenna chuckled but tried her hardest not to as she didn't want to undermine Damon's authority, not that he really had any.

"I get around, I won't lie," Damon said with a shrug. "I blame father for that."

"You blame a lot on father don't you," Sarah said with a grin, happy to finally be getting her own back against Damon.

"Well it's not like he did a very good job," Damon pointed out as he pointed the knife at Sarah before returning to his cutting.

"Fair point," Sarah agreed as she raised her wine glass. Over the century and half she'd been alive, she'd come to realise how much of jerk her father had been. Yes she still loved him, he was her father after all, but there was no denying he had been deeply affected by their mother's passing. But he was bad even before that, even by the standards of the times. And Damon had more reason than most to hate the man.

"What about you, Jenna?" Damon asked.

"Yeah. We've covered mine and Damon's pathetic love lives. Let's hear about yours," Sarah said as she took another sip from her wine glass.

"There were a few guys. Logan isn't the only loser I've dated," Jenna said with a knowing look to Sarah over the jerk she'd mentioned more than once.

"They ever find him? Or is he still missing?" Damon asked without looking up, as to avoid giving away the fact he was partly responsible for his death. Then again they weren't one-hundred precent sure he was dead. All they knew was that he hadn't shown up for a meeting with Damon. That had been after Scarlett bit him, but the bite hadn't been fatal and even if it had been, he was a vampire, he'd heal.

"He's not missing," Jenna spoke up with anger in her voice. "He's in the Bahamas working on his tan. Very entitled, that one. Marches to his own drum." Jenna then drank the remainder of her wine as Damon and Sarah grinned at one another. It was nice that they could still be civilised and smile around each other despite what was going on. It didn't change the fact that Sarah was still going to do what ever she could to stop Katherine from getting out the tomb. And that Damon would do the same to get her out. But even so, Sarah still clung to the hope that her family could be whole again.

"He's a Fell," Jenna continued. "They're all snooty."

"I'll drink to that," Sarah agreed drinking the rest of her wine as Jenna snorted with laughter. Damon even chuckled as he grabbed the wine bottle form the counter and walked over to Jenna, refiling her glass. However when Sarah held out her glass for a refill Damon just shook his head with an amused glare.

"No, no little sister. One's enough for you, I'm cutting you off," Damon said as he walked back over to the counter.

"Hate you," Sarah said playfully as Jenna drank from her renewed wine glass.

"A tad hurtful, Sarah…don't you think, Elena," Damon said without looking up from his cooking preparation. A second later Elena walked in with a frown as she watched Damon. Though she seemed to relax a little when she saw Sarah sitting with her aunt, and even smiled at the friendly face.

"Hey," Jenna greeted her niece. "Where have you been?" Jenna said as Sarah smiled at Elena, doing her best to comfort her. She could only assume that Elena knew the arrangement between her and Stefan since apparently he told her everything.

"We're cooking dinner," Jenna continued as she motioned over to Damon with her wine glass, making it obvious he was doing most of the work.

"Is Stefan with you?" Damon asked.

"Yeah, is he?" Sarah added, making sure to add the attitude so that Damon would think she was still mad. If Elena was in the know then she'd understand and if she didn't, then Sarah didn't really care for the time being. Her main priority right now was keeping Katherine in that tomb and keeping her family together.

"Um… He'll be here soon," Elena said slowly as she eyed the two before leaning against the counter Jenna and Sarah were sat upon.

After some more chatter, Jeremy and Scarlett came down stairs, bypassing the older group and heading straight for the living room. The two crashed on the couch as Jeremy flicked on the TV and his Xbox, tossing a controller to Scarlett. They began playing while Damon, Sarah and Jenna joked about the two until Scarlett yelled at them to shut up and Jeremy laughed. When Elena offered to set the table, Jenna said she'd help until Sarah insisted she do it. With nothing else to do, Jenna headed into the living room and sat down with Scarlett to catch up with her and irritate Jeremy.

Now alone, Damon started to play his games, like he always did. After he finished laying down the cutlery at the table he made his way back over to the kitchen, passing Elena as he did. Unfortunately for Elena, Damon caught her between the counter so she had to slide between the counter and Damon, brushing her backside against his front. Damon chuckled as Elena rolled her eyes along with Sarah who had just finished laying out the glasses.

"Don't do that," Elena said as she started to place the plates in her hands down on the table.

"Do what?" Damon asked playfully with his charming grin as he stopped at the stove and began turning the spoon through the stew.

"You know what," Elena said as she turned around, hand on her hip as Sarah walked over to her side, having finished dishing out the glasses. "That move was deliberate."

"Well, yeah, I was deliberately trying to get to the sink," Damon said lamely as he pointed over to the sink.

"Dumb ass," Sarah said as she shook her head along with Elena.

"Speaking of Stefan, where is he?" Damon asked, as he continued with his cooking.

"Yeah, where is he, Elena," Sarah asked, playing along. She had to keep up the act that she was mad at Stefan or else Damon would be on to her. As far as he knew it had just been his dumb luck that Sarah found him before Stefan and now she was sticking to him like glue.

"He's missing family night, which I am enjoying immensely," Damon said as he looked over his shoulder with smirk at the two ladies by the kitchen table. "Maybe we should make it a more permanent thing. The Gilbert, Salvatore family get together," he said with a grin as he turned back to his cooking pot.

"Does that mean you'll be sticking around then and abandoning Katherine," Sarah asked with a cocked eyebrow. Damon shot her a glare over his shoulder before going back to cooking.

"Is it real?" Damon spoke up after a short silence, as Elena grabbed some napkins from the island in the kitchen.

"Is what real?" Elena sighed as she looked up to see Damon staring back at her. From the table Sarah watched silently with her arms folded, carefully listening to Elena's heartbeat. She needed to lie and Damon would be listening in on her heart as well for the slightest blimp. And if she mucked it up the Sarah would step in. She may be on the fence with Elena still, but she was trying to help stop Katherine and that counted for something. Besides, once Sarah got past the fact that Elena had Katherine's face she actually did like the girl…sort of.

"This renewed sense of brotherhood. Can I trust him?" Damon asked without looking away from his cooking pot.

"Yes, you can trust him," Elena said slowly, but Sarah heard the blimp in heart just like Damon did. Elena turned away and made her way back over to Sarah, handing her half the napkins before she started setting them out. Sarah just stood eyeing Damon as he stared at her, trying to decide if showing his uncertainty in his brother was a good idea in front of his sister. Her added smirk wasn't help, like she had planed for this. He knew his sister could be just as devious as him when she wanted too.

When Elena sat down her last napkin, Damon moved, running up behind in her in a silent blur as Sarah's eyes followed him. Still watching him as Elena causally turned to face him. Like Scarlett she was getting used to the supernatural.

"Can I trust him?" Damon repeated looking into Elena's eyes. Sarah knew he wasn't compelling her. For one thing she had vervain on her but there was something else about the way he looked at her.

"I'm wearing vervain, Damon. It's not going to work," Elena said which made Sarah cringe internally. That was a bold statement and a dangerous one. By saying that she'd almost confirmed she was hiding something from Damon, something that he might try to compel out of her. And by restating she was on vervain, she was telling Damon that she wasn't going to give up her secrets.

"I'm not compelling you," Damon said a little angrily, which he always did when he was covering his hurt. Sarah knew that all to well. "I just want you to answer me. Honestly." Elena stared him for a moment before answering and to her credit, her heartbeat didn't waver once.

"Of course you can."

"So, I guess that means I can't trust him then," Sarah spoke up as she glared at Elena and Damon who turned to her. Again she had to keep up appearances and be mad that Stefan was siding with her brother and not her.

"I guess so," Elena said with a sadness in her voice. Sarah had to give her props for her acting. Damon seemed very convinced as he whistled tensely and backed away from the two with his hands raised. Though the second he was turned, Elena mouthed, "Sorry," to Sarah. The littlest Salvatore nodded back appreciatively but kept scowling in case Damon turned back around.

"Do you remember Sarah, when we used to trust each other more than anyone?" Damon asked as turned around, folding his arms and leaning back against the stove as his stew continued to cook.

"You mean before Katherine," Sarah snarled as she glared at her brother.

"Come on, Sarah. We trusted each other, even when Katherine was around," Damon said as he stepped towards her with a mocking smile.

"She used us like puppets," Sarah said in a low voice as she advanced on her brother. She backed down quickly though when she saw Jenna look over from the couch, she didn't need to cause a scene. It made her blood boil when Damon smirked at her, knowing he could push all her buttons and she couldn't do anything against him without ramifications.

"Trust breeds trust. You have to give it to get it," Elena spoked up as both Salvatores turned to Elena with glares for separate reasons. Sarah was still angry from dealing with Damon and Damon was annoyed that Elena was trying to end his fun.

"Are you lecturing us?" Damon asked with a quirked eyebrow.

"God knows you need one," Sarah grumbled with a roll of her eyes as Damon shot her a glare.

"I just want her back. Why is that so hard for you to understand?" Damon asked in a low dark voice as he turned back to Sarah.

"She destroyed our family and ruined our lives. The real question is why do you want her back?" Sarah snapped back.

"Because she's everything I want, she's my whole world," Damon explained passionately as he lifted his hands, fingers curling into frustrated fists.

"You don't, Damon. Don't you see, after all this time, she's still playing with your head. She's still pitting us against each other, why can't you understand that!" Sarah exclaimed as she threw her arms out. Damon sighed before stepping closer to his sister so that his face was right in her personal space.

"Understand this, sister. I will do what ever it takes to get her back. So I advise staying out of my way, otherwise… Well, you know what we do for the ones we love," Damon said with a sinister smirk to his sister before backing away. From that point on Damon acted as if nothing had happened. He served the meal, the six of them sat down to eat and had a nice meal. But the whole time Sarah was glaring at Damon out the corner of her eye. He just continued to smile and laugh like she wasn't even there though. He charmed Jenna with ease and after the meal, he sat down in front of the TV with Jeremy and Scarlett.

"You said you never played this thing before," Jeremy said as he played the racing game with Damon who was on the other side of the couch with Scarlett sat in between them. Scarlett could tell he was trying his hardest, but he was no match for Damon and his supernatural speed.

"I'm a fast learner. Quick reflexes," Damon said smugly as they continued to play. Scarlett growled beneath her breath, not happy with the way Damon was treating Jeremy. So when Jeremy and Damon were about to go round a corner, she kicked Damon in the shin. He grunted as he lost control and his car hit the wall as Jeremy went flying past, smiling as he did.

"Looks like those reflexes could use some fine tuning," Scarlett said with a smug grin to Damon who glared at her, fully aware of what she'd done. But rather than fight back, he just went back to playing the game, which Jeremy won to Scarlett's delight. She was really starting to love his smile…as well as Damon's irritated glare. It meant she was doing a good job annoying him, which was helping Sarah.

After starting up the next game Jeremy got a text. The race had only just began when he paused it, much to Damon's annoyance. He glanced over at Jeremy only to see him throw his phone back down on the couch before returning to the game.

"Who are you dodging?" Damon asked as they played.

"This girl, Anna. She can be, uh, persistent," Jeremy said though he was clearly more focused on the game. So much so that he didn't notice Scarlett growl at the mention of Anna.

"Is she hot?" Damon asked with a clear smirk to Scarlett who narrowed her eyes.

"No," Scarlett answered before Jeremy could.

"Which means yes," Damon said with a grin.

"Plus she's kinda weird," Jeremy added, still focused on the game.

"Have you met this one," Damon said out the corner of his mouth as he nodded towards Scarlett who went to punch him only to miss him when he skilfully slide aside, smirking as he did.

"Shut it, Damon," Scarlett snarled.

"Just ignore him," Jeremy said as he turned away from the game, resting his hand on Scarlett's knee. She turned to him, feeling her cheeks heat up slightly when she saw Jeremy's real caring smile. They both then looked back to the TV when it began making noises and the words 'Winner' flashed across the screen.

"You snooze you lose kid," Damon said as he relaxed in the glory of his win, smiling away smugly.

"Give me the controller, I want to kick his ass," Scarlett said as she swung back around to Jeremy, practically snatching the control from him.

"You don't need the controller to do that," Jeremy said with a smile to Scarlett as she set up the next game. She grinned at him before starting the game. Damon started off relaxed but then hunched over when he saw that Scarlett was going to be a lot more challenging than Jeremy. Almost like she had supernatural reflexes.

Meanwhile in the kitchen Elena, Jenna and Sarah had finished cleaning up and Elena had brought out a cardboard box full of family heirlooms. However Jenna seemed slightly more focused on Damon as she sipped on her forth glass of wine that evening. It made Sarah a little sick, but it wasn't anything new to her. She understood it was hard for hopeless romantics not to fall for her brother, even she fell for his tricks once or twice. He really was a charmer.

"He's ridiculously hot!" Jenna exclaimed to the two girls in a whisper, though Sarah knew Damon was listening in.

"Shh!" Elena said embarrassingly.

"I'll let you in on a secret," Sarah said as she leaned over towards Jenna and Elena. "He's an ass," Sarah said smirking as she pictured Damon rolling his eyes and pouting. He deserved it for trying to bring back Katherine anyway. Elena and Jenna laughed at that before Elena returned to rummaging through her box, capturing Sarah and Jenna's attention.

"What are you doing with all this stuff?" Jenna asked.

"I thought there might be something about my birth parents," Elena said causally before realising what she'd said as she looked up to Sarah.

"So your adopted?" Sarah asked carefully as she locked eyes with Elena. Elena pressed her lips together and nodded. Sarah didn't have much else to say on the subject. It wasn't her place and while she and Elena had grown closer, they were't that close. Plus she was more focused on Katherine for now anyway. So she just offered Elena a supportive smile which apparently was enough for Elena.

"Have you told Jeremy?" Jenna asked as she looked over to the young boy who was laughing on the couch with Scarlett as Damon made rude gestures at the TV.

"I will. When the time is right," Elena said as she looked back down into the box. The doorbell then rang and Elena closed up the box without a second thought. "That's Stefan," Elena said as she walked towards the front door. Sarah remained in the kitchen with Jenna, watching the doorway as Elena approached it. She heard Scarlett complain as Damon stood up from the couch and marched through the living room towards the front door, leaving behind the two teens.

Elena reached the door first, with Damon not far behind as she opened the door. Stefan smiled at Elena but then frowned when he saw Damon and deliberately depended his frown when he looked through into the kitchen where Sarah was staring at him. His eyes then moved back to Elena as she shrugged, not sure what to say about the situation they'd ended up in.

"Well?" Damon asked, ready to get down to business. Though he raised his finger when he remembered Sarah. He looked back over, narrowing his eyes before turning back to his brother and his girlfriend. "Actually why don't we take this outside," Damon said as he pushed the two outside, quickly closing the door behind him as Sarah rolled her eyes.

He wasn't stupid enough to believe that Sarah wasn't going to listen in, even if Jenna was talking to her. Though Sarah suspected it had been something about why she was leaving because next thing she knew Jenna was heading up stairs. She shook her head refocusing as she listened in on her brothers and Elena from the kitchen while watching Jeremy and Scarlett play their game.

"Who took it?" Damon asked and Sarah assumed he was referring to the journal.

"I don't know," Stefan answered.

"You know what, it's that teacher. There's something really off about him." Sarah had to agree there was something off with their history teacher but she couldn't think what he'd want with the tomb. To her he just seemed like a normal history teacher with a strange name.

"No, he doesn't know anything," Stefan quickly answered, which only confirmed he did know something to Sarah. But he seemed to fool their older brother. "Somebody got to it right before me."

"Who else knew it was there?" Damon asked and Sarah turned to the two teenagers sat on the couch play video games. She could hear her brothers making their way back inside as Elena argued with Damon to leave her brother alone so Sarah only had a few seconds. Using her speed she dashed over behind the couch, quietly before grabbing Scarlett's shoulder and pulling her back slightly.

"No matter what stay with Jeremy," Sarah whispered as Scarlett turned around. She was frowning with confusion but nodded her head all the same, Sarah knew she could trust Scarlett to look after Jeremy. Hopefully she'd call her if Damon found a lead on the journal but there wasn't enough time to tell her that.

"So…" Damon drawled out as he walked over and sat down on the edge of the couch with Stefan and Elena standing behind him. "I heard you found a really cool journal from back in the day. As he spoke his eyes darted up to meet Sarah, ready to make a run for it in case she did. He had to get to the journal before her. "Who else did you show it to?" Damon asked as his eyes moved back over to Jeremy who was still playing the game with Scarlett.

"Huh?" Jeremy murmured as he continued to play.

"He showed me," Scarlett spoke up.

"Nobody cares about you," Damon snapped to Scarlett as she pouted. "Now spill," he said turning back to Jeremy.

"You're kidding me, right?' Jeremy asked as he paused the game and turned to Damon.

"Jer, did you tell anyone other than Mr. Saltzman about Jonathan Gilbert's journal?" Elena asked for behind Damon.

"Why is everybody so obsessed with that thing?" Jeremy asked turning to Scarlett who shrugged. To be honest she wasn't entirely sure herself.

"Who else did you tell?" Elena asked with a little more force this time.

"Just that girl, Anna," Jeremy answered as Scarlett's eyes widened slight, remembering the discussion that had happened between the two at the 70s party.

"The hot, weird one?" Damon asked with a quirked eyebrow.

"She's not hot," Scarlett cut in with a glare.

"Shut it," Damon snapped before turning back to Jeremy.

"Wait, who is Anna?" Stefan asked with a frown.

"That's what I want to find out," Damon said right as Elena's phone started to ring. She picked it up from the side table and ran out the room to answer it. How she could take a phone call at a time like this, Sarah had no idea.

"How do you two know her?" Damon asked Jeremy and Scarlett.

"I just know her. She wants me to meet her at the Grill tonight," Jeremy explained.

"Perfect. I'll drive. Come on," Damon said as he got up.

"O-Okay," Jeremy said as he got up. "You coming Scarlett?"

"Yes," Scarlett said firmly as she stood up, grabbing her jacket from the couch as she did.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. You really want to bring her?" Damon asked, pointing to Scarlett with an unsure look as he did.

"She's my friend," Jeremy said with a shrug as Scarlett smiled smugly at Damon over his shoulder. Damon scowled and waved the two towards the front door but when Sarah tried to follow he shoved her back.

"Sorry, Sis. Only one girl's getting in my car, and Jeremy seems pretty certain on who that's going to be," Damon said with his smug smile before turning to Stefan with a more serious look. "Keep her here until I find the journal."

"You got it," Stefan said with a nod as Damon walked out the door towards his car where Scarlett and Jeremy were waiting for him. Sarah tried to follow again but let Stefan push her back at vamp speed into the kitchen to show off to Damon. He pressed her down against the island in the kitchen until they heard Damon's car drive away.

"Nice acting, Stefy," Sarah said with a grin as Stefan released her and stepped back.

"Thanks," Stefan said with an apologetic smile to his sister as she straightened her jacket. "Come on, we need to talk," Stefan said as he nodded towards the stairs. Sarah followed her brother quietly up to Elena's room where she was just ending a phone call with Bonnie when the two walked in.

"Where's Damon?" Elena asked with a frown when she only so two out of the three Salvatores.

"He left to track down Jeremy's friend Anna with Scarlett, see if there was anything there," Stefan explained.

"Aren't either of you going to go with him? If he gets to the journal before we do, then-" Elena began as Stefan pulled something out his back pocket, holding it up for the two ladies to see.

"Doesn't matter," Stefan said proudly as Elena and Sarah stared at the bunch of papers in his hand.

"What is that?" Sarah asked.

"It's a copy of it," Stefan said with a grin as the two smiled back at him excitedly.

"You are now officially my favourite brother," Sarah said as she hugged her brother's arm and he smiled back at her.

"How did you get it?" Elena asked, still grinning.

"Well, Mr. Saltzman made a copy and was kind enough to loan it to me," Stefan explained as the two ladies gave him skeptical looks.

"He did?" Elena said, not sounding to convinced.

"Not exactly," Stefan said as he nodded his head from side to side.

"You are so my brother," Sarah said with a grin as Stefan and Elena chuckled. They then cut up the journal into three equal parts and began searching through their own pile, reading and rereading every page until finally Elena found something.

"Here's a reference that he wrote about Emily," Elena said from her window as Stefan and Sarah walked over to join her. "The Fell family believed it should be I, not them, who protected the witch's spell book," Elena read from the piece of paper in her hands. "But I feared she would haunt me from the hereafter. They mocked my fear, but it was Giuseppe Salvatore who-" Elena paused as she looked up to the two Salvatores.

"Is that your father?" Elena asked.

"Yeah," Stefan answered as he sat down next to Elena and Sarah nodded in agreement. Stefan then reached for the page and Elena willingly handed it over so that he could read it himself.

"It was Giuseppe Salvatore who removed my fear," Stefan read. "He told me he would protect the secret of the spell book. He said he would carry it to his grave," Stefan finished before lowering the paper and looking up at Sarah who had the same frown as him. They were both thinking back on past experiences with their father, how he'd emphasised on 'taking things to his grave'. They both thought over it for a moment before it hit them both. Their forest green eyes widened at the same time as both said, "I know where it is."

Elena looked between the two with a proud smile before they all made their way towards the door, ready to finally end this and lock Katherine away forever.

* * *

Scarlett wasn't happy with this. She hated leaving Jeremy alone with Anna. Yes he was only across the Grill, but Damon wasn't helping by trying to irritate her as much as possible while he sat next to her.

"I mean how much blood could the guy really have in him? At most he'd last two minutes before this Anna chick drained him dry," Damon said with that smug smile from the seat next to Scarlett.

"Shut it, Damon," Scarlett snapped finally.

"You wound me," Damon said right before Scarlett punched him in the arm making him wince. "Damn, you really have one hell of a left hook," Damon said as he rubbed his arm, glaring at Scarlett as she smiled sarcastically in return before turning back to Jeremy just as Anna joined him.

"You just couldn't live without me, huh?" Anna asked teasingly as she sauntered up to Jeremy.

"Well, I kinda missed my daily dose of cute stalker chick," Jeremy admitted.

"Oh, funny," Anna said with a smile as they both walked over to the pool table.

"Let's play," Jeremy said as he picked up a cue. He knew that Damon and Scarlett were watching from across the Grill but had been told not to tell Anna and that they would come over and join them later.

"So you recognise her?" Scarlett asked as she turned to find Damon staring off into space. "Damon?" Scarlett asked as he stared at Anna with narrowed eyes. "Damon? You recognise her, don't you?" He turned to her, glaring at her before getting up and walking out. Once he was gone, and Scarlett checked the air for his scent, she sent Sarah a quick text, explaining that Damon did recognise Anna but she didn't know how. Sarah quickly replied with a thank you and asked her to watch out for Jeremy as per Elena's request.

Scarlett was happier about the last part, particularly when she saw Anna leave and Jeremy wave her over. She hopped of the bar stool with a secret smile as she jogged over to join her friend.

"How'd things go with Anna?" Scarlett asked as Jeremy threw her a cue.

"She's still weird," Jeremy said as he step up the table.

"Good thing you've still got me then," Scarlett said with a grin which Jeremy returned.

"Yeah," Jeremy agreed before they started to play.

* * *

"Why isn't your father buried in your family tomb?" Elena asked as she shone her flash light on the tombstone of Giuseppe Salvatore. While she was doing that, Stefan and Sarah hung up the fire lit torches around the area, clearing it up for Elena. They could both see perfectly in the dark but Elena didn't have their heightened sight.

"It wasn't built until after he died," Stefan explained as he hung the last of the torches and Sarah picked up the shovels they'd brought with them.

"Are you sure the grimoire's in there with him?" Elena asked as Sarah handed over one of the shovels to her brother.

"Certain of it," Sarah said with a grin to Elena who smiled back at her confidence. Sarah then picked up the third shovel and handed it off to Elena as Stefan watched his girlfriend.

"Elena," he spoke up. "We can do this on our own," Stefan said as he nodded over to Sarah.

"And I said I would do whatever I can to help," Elena countered.

"I know, and I appreciate that, but-" Stefan began.

"Just let the girl help Stefan. She doesn't always need saving," Sarah said as she dug her shovel in the ground, ready to get to work. If they had found the grimoire then Damon wouldn't be far behind, so the quicker they destroyed it, the better.

"Thank you, Sarah," Elena said with an appreciative smile as the three set to work.

"I'm sorry that you have to do this," Elena suddenly spoke up, addressing the two Salvatores. Stefan and Sarah smiled softly before getting back to work. It took them almost an hour to dig a proper hole. By this point Elena had stopped because she was tired and was standing above the two Salvatores who where now in the grave. Digging with their supernatural strength while Elena shone a flashlight into the grave. She then began to smile when Stefan looked up, shaking her head to herself.

"What?" Stefan asked, catching his sister's attention as she looked up to see what the problem was.

"Not many girls can say they've done this," Elena said as she stared down at the two.

"Trust me, all my girlfriends have done this," Sarah said as she got back to digging alone with Stefan. And then after a few shovels they hit something. They looked to each other and then up to Elena who's eyes widened along with their own.

"Get out," Stefan ordered his sister and the girl quickly jumped out and up to Elena's side as Stefan dug the rest of the dirt away with his hands to reveal the coffin of their father. Both Sarah and Elena kneeled down, shining the flash light in so that Stefan had enough light as he opened up coffin.

"Is that it?" Elena asked as Stefan pulled an old leather book from the coffin. He looked it over before closing the coffin and then looked up with teary eyes. Sarah offered him a supporting smile as he stood up, setting the grimoire on the ground above him as Elena and Sarah gathered around. He ripped open the sting that was holding it shut and then flicked it open to reveal the pages and pages of spells. It was the grimoire, and now they could finally end it.

"Well, what do you know?" Damon spoke up from across the cemetery as the three looked up to see the eldest Salvatore facing them with a dark look. "This is an interesting turn of events." Quickly Sarah grabbed the book and stood up straight as Stefan jumped out in between Elena and Damon. Sarah pushed Elena behind her, but continued to hold onto the grimoire tightly. She was going to end this now. No matter what Katherine was never coming back.

"We can't let you bring her back. I'm sorry," Stefan said as he held out his hand towards Damon.

"I'm not," Sarah snarled. Her eyes darted over to the flickering flames of the torches but she knew the book wouldn't burn before Damon could stop her. She would have to get away and make sure she could burn it completely before Damon got to her.

"Well I am," Damon said stepping forwards. "For thinking for even a second that I could trust you, brother," Damon snarled.

"Oh. You're not capable of trust. The fact that you're here means that you read the journal and you were planning on doing this yourself," Stefan argued.

"That's because she was with you," Damon exclaimed pointing to his sister. "She's the bitch that's trying to stop me. I was going to grab the grimoire and hide it, then tell you. That way Sarah couldn't do anything to stop us."

"Funny how that backfired," Sarah said smugly as she held up the grimoire and Damon snarled at her as he eyed the book.

"Well at least now I realise the only one I can count on is me!" Damon exclaimed as he pointed to himself. "You both made sure of that many years ago," Damon declared to both his siblings. "But you…" Damon said accusingly and hurt as he pointed to Elena who looked down nervously. "You had me fooled."

"So what are you going to do now? Because if you try and destroy that, I'll rip her heart out," Damon said as he glared at his brother, even though Sarah was the one holding the grimoire.

"You won't kill her," Stefan said determinedly. Damon nodded in regrettable agreement, knowing he couldn't kill Elena since she looked just like Katherine and because he had come to care for her. So instead he ran past both his siblings and grabbed Elena. Sarah could have stopped him but she had thought he was coming for her so she speed around behind Stefan, clutching the grimoire to her chest in case Damon made another move.

"I can do one better," Damon said with one arm wrapped around Elena's neck before bitting into his other. Elena tried to break free but it was useless and when Damon forced his bleeding wrist against her mouth she couldn't stop the blood flooding in. When he pulled his wrist away, Elena spat out the blood but it wasn't enough. Too much was in her system and if she died now, she'd turn.

"Give me the book, Stefan, or I'm snapping her neck. And you and I will have a vampire girlfriend," Damon declared angrily still holding Elena tight around the neck as she struggled.

"Let her go first," Stefan begged.

"The book!" Damon snapped angrily as he tightened his hold on Elena making her squeal.

"I'm not going to give you the book until she is standing next to me," Stefan said, standing his ground.

"Problem is, I no longer trust that you'll give it back!" Damon snapped angrily as he glared at his brother.

"You just did the one thing that ensures that I will," Stefan pointed out as he raised his hand in defeat. Damon nodded but kept his hold on Elena, before nodding to the ground, mentally telling Stefan to place the book on the ground. "Okay," Stefan said slowly. "Sarah, put the book on the ground."

"No," Sarah said firmly as all three sets of eyes turned on her.

"Sarah," Stefan said warningly, sensing his sister was about to do something stupid.

"I'm sorry, Stefan. But I can't let Katherine out. And Elena will still live," Sarah pointed out as she slowly backed away.

"Sarah, don't," Stefan warned as his vampire feature began to come out along with his rage.

"I'm not letting her ruin our family again," Sarah said as she turned to run only to be tripped up by Stefan who quickly pinned her down. He had her for about a second before Sarah flicked her head up and whacked it against Stefan's. He groaned in pain as he rolled aside and Sarah ran for the grimoire only to have Stefan kick her feet out from under her once more. Before Sarah had the chance to recover Stefan pulled her up from under her arms and quickly grabbed hold of her head.

"I'm sorry, Sarah," Stefan apologised before he snapped her neck and the world went black.

* * *

Sarah watched from her window as two men carried Katherine away, throwing her into a metallic cart before locking the door. Finally it was over. Katherine had been captured. It was sad that father had to trick Stefan, but it was worth it to be rid of Katherine once and for all. Damon and Stefan would heal with time and the compulsion would fade, and they'd finally be a family again. The nightmare was over…or so Sarah thought until she saw Damon and Stefan outside arguing.

She didn't need supernatural hearing like Katherine to know what it was they were arguing about and more importantly what they were thinking of doing. They were her brothers after all. Lifting up the front of her dress, Sarah ran from her room, down the stairs and across the lawn to her brothers.

"I'll help you. We'll get her back," Stefan exclaimed to Damon as the towns men ran around on their vampire hunt. Damon then shoved Stefan away and glared at him.

"Help me?!" Damon snapped. "Don't you think that you've done enough? You promised you wouldn't tell him!"

"Brothers! Brothers, please," Sarah begged as she came to a stop beside them, panting for air. "It's over, let her go."

"How can you say that," Damon snapped with a look Sarah had never seen her brother give her before. One of hatred, he'd always been so kind to her and Stefan. Katherine had brought something dark out from inside of him, she'd done the same with Stefan and even Sarah herself. She couldn't understand why her brothers wanted that to continue.

"I didn't think this would happen," Stefan begged as Damon turned back towards him. The sound of a whipped horse echoed and the three looked over to see the cart with Katherine vanishing into the night.

"You did this. This is your fault," Damon said to Stefan before running off into the night as Stefan looked to his sister with sad and self hating eyes. Sarah felt so sorry for him, so much that she was almost brought to tears like her brother.

* * *

Scarlett was walking back towards the Salvatore house after a good night with Jeremy. They'd had a good time playing pool and joking around. But when he got a call from Jenna they both new it was time to go home. So Scarlett walked with Jeremy back to his house and then continued on by herself to the Salvatore house. Jenna had offered her a lift but Scarlett refused, preferring to walk. Up ahead she could see the woods and she was thinking about darting in and changing and running the rest of the way home. Being a werewolf definitely had it's ups.

She looked back over her shoulder to make sure no one was following her and then turned back towards the forest only to find Anna standing in front of her. Scarlett jumped, hand shooting up around her necklace as her eyes flashed golden, her primal instincts kicking in.

"Been awhile since I've see one of you," Anna said as she stared at Scarlett with an emotionless mask.

"I don't know what your talking about," Scarlett growled, her canines starting to form in her mouth. "But I won't let you near Jeremy ever again."

"I'm not after Jeremy. I'm after you," Anna said as Scarlett's brow lowered in confusion. "Nice necklace," Anna added as she nodded to the necklace Scarlett had in her hand, her hand tightening at the thought of Anna looking at it. Her eyes then blackened with blood as her veins pulsed beneath her eyes. Scarlett's eyes flashed gold and she growled, her canines now fully formed. Anna hissed and ran forwards in a blur motion as Scarlett lunged towards the vampire, claws reach out. They collided, and the fight began.


	15. Cramped Hotel Rooms

_Review responses:_

 _Kelena-forever: I know! I can't wait to get to more Katherine Sarah bits, they really are fun to write!_

 _So most of the upcoming episodes are getting broken down into two-parters so that I'm not giving you guys to much at once. If you would rather I uploaded them as one large chapter then please say but otherwise I'll just keep them as is. For this reason then this one's a bit slow, sorry in advance._

 _Also, Thanks for all the favourites and follows you guys! And don't forget to leave a review, I respond to every one and that's the same for PMs. Hope you all enjoy the latest update to the story!_

* * *

 **Chapter 15: Cramped Hotel Rooms**

* * *

"Seriously!" came an angry voice from the next room. But Scarlett's head was thumping so hard she had only just been able to catch it. She was on a hard floor and had been bleeding considering the red stains beneath her. Her supernatural healing probably saved her life. She couldn't remember what had happened. Last thing she remembered, she was heading home…then Anna.

 _Oh God,_ Scarlett thought as she quickly sat up, pain striking her head as she did. Her hands shot up to hold her head until the pain passed. It was coming back to her now. How Anna had come after her on her way back to the Salvatore house. They'd fought, but Anna had managed to get the upper hand and slammed her head into the ground until she passed out. Now she was in some cramped bathroom with people talking in the next room.

"I told her not to move. I did that eye thing that you taught me," someone said on the other side of the door, not a voice that Scarlett recognised.

"And forgot the lesson about vervain!" a familiar voice snapped, one that made Scarlett's blood run cold. "She dates a vampire, Ben. Duh!" Scarlett reached for the bathroom door knob, ready to charge out until she felt something hit the wall on the other side.

"Who are you? What do you want?" Elena asked in fright.

"Elena?" Scarlett whispered as her brow lowered in confusion, recognizing the voice.

"Does it matter?" Anna replied before opening the door and pushing Elena inside. Scarlett narrowly avoided the stumbling Elena before running out growling as she did. Only her voice didn't have the same animal like power to it and her claws refused to grow from her fingers. But that didn't stop her from charging towards Anna who grabbed her by the throat in an instant, holding her up as she gasped for air.

"Scarlett!" Elena shouted from the bathroom. Both surprise to see her and in shock at how she had ran out, only to be caught by Anna like she was nothing.

"Stay there!" Anna shouted when Elena tried to run back out. She quickly stopped, worried for Scarlett's safety. "I wouldn't bother trying to bite me. It won't work. As far as I can tell you need this to use those little tricks of yours," Anna said smugly as she held up Scarlett's necklace. At the sight of her mother's necklace in the hands of the vampire, Scarlett's eyes widened as she snarled at Anna. "Now do as I say, or I break it," Anna said threateningly. Reluctantly Scarlett nodded in agreement as Anna released her but still holding the necklace in her hand, ready to crush it if Scarlett made a move.

"Get inside the bathroom with Elena. Now!" Anna ordered and with a glare. Scarlett did as told and stepped back into small room, allowing Anna pulled the door closed.

"Bitch," Scarlett muttered angrily as she turned around to face Elena who quickly brought her into an unwilling hug.

"Are you alright?" Elena asked in more panic than Scarlett felt warranted.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Scarlett said as she gently hugged Elena back, more for her sake than her own.

"What happened?" Elena asked as they parted, still holding onto Scarlett's shoulders.

"The vampire with the attitude grabbed me in the street on my way home. Next thing I know I'm waking up here," Scarlett explained as she motioned around the room. "What about you?"

"I was in my room one minute. The next I'm waking up here. I tried to get out, almost tricked the other one but then the girl showed up," Elena said with a sigh. "Come on, let's see if there's a way out through…" Elena stopped talking suddenly and Scarlett frowned when she saw Elena staring at the bath. She followed her gaze and found a dark-skinned girl in the bathtub with a bleeding forehead.

"Bonnie," Elena said running to the girl's side as she began inspecting her.

"Friend of yours?" Scarlett asked from behind Elena.

"Best friend," Elena answered as she wiped away the blood on Bonnie's forehead, trying to get a better look at the cut.

"What do you need me to do?" Scarlett asked, ready to do what she had to to make sure that they all got out of this alive. Or at least until she got her necklace back, so that she could then tear Anna limb from limb.

"Grab that cloth and soak it," Elena ordered as she looked over and nodded to the cloth on the side of the sink. Scarlett grabbed it and turned on the tap, soaking it before turning off the tap and returning to Elena with the cloth. Elena gave her a thankful smile as she took the cloth and placed it on Bonnie's forehead. She just prayed her friend would be okay.

* * *

When Sarah woke up, the sun had already risen. She'd been dead for over several hours. She sat up in the quiet graveyard and looked around, no one insight. She groaned aloud as she pushed the palms of her hands against her eyes. She couldn't believe it. She'd lost the grimoire to her brother. And now Damon was one step closer to releasing Katherine. But she still had a chance, if she could find the grimoire then she could destroy it. The boarding house was as good a place as any to start, Sarah figured as she stood up.

It took her a couple of minutes to reach the house and then barged in through the door. No one seemed to notice. She then made her way through every room in the house until she found Damon in the study. He didn't even bother to look up when she entered. He was sat in an armchair by the fire, a book in one hand and crystal glass in the other, a tiny bit of bourbon still in the glass.

"Where is it?" Sarah snapped as she descended the short set of stairs and marched over to her brother who still didn't look up.

"Where's what?" Damon asked calmly without looking up.

"The Grimoire!" Sarah shouted as she snatched the book from Damon's hand, throwing it into the unlit fireplace as she continued to glare at him. He sighed before slowly lifting his head to look at her.

"Well, that wasn't it," Damon said with a smug grin.

"Where is it!" Sarah shouted as she leaned over, pushing her face up against Damon's. He didn't even flinch. Why would he, he had all the power now and Sarah could do nothing about it.

"Anna took Elena," Stefan announced as he walked into the study.

"Yeah, I got that from your 600 voice mails," Damon said as he looked away from both his siblings and finished off his bourbon. As he did that, Sarah pulled out her own phone, finding all the messages Stefan had left her. Maybe if he hadn't killed her the previous night and handed over the grimoire to Damon, she could have helped him. She put her phone away when she felt Stefan walk up behind her.

"Where have you been?" Stefan asked as Sarah turned around, frown instantly forming at his accusing tone.

"I'm sorry, did you forget the whole you killing me part of last night?" Sarah asked rhetorically.

"I didn't, it was a delight to watch," Damon said from his chair with a grin up to his siblings.

"I've been searching all night, all over town," Stefan exclaimed to his brother and sister.

"Clearly not, otherwise you would have found her," Sarah said with a teasing grin to her brother. He stared at her, slightly shocked by her attitude. In Sarah's mind however he'd earned it. He'd turned on her and handed over the grimoire to Damon who was still planning on releasing Katherine. Yeah Elena would have been turned into a vampire if he hadn't, but she still would've been alive. What Stefan had done was give Katherine a chance to live which Sarah would not allow. So, since Stefan stopped helping her, she was going to stop helping him. And that included helping Elena.

"What if Damon's blood hasn't passed out of her system yet?" Stefan asked in a panic.

"Well, then you'll have handed over the grimoire for nothing," Sarah said angrily as she glared at her brother with folded arms.

"Quiet your winning. At least you'll get to see her again," Damon pointed out as he watched his younger siblings argue with a smug smile. "Maybe if you're lucky you won't even have to wait a century and a half," he added with a smirk as Stefan glared down at him.

"Please," Stefan begged to his brother, crouching down next to the armchair Damon was still sat in. "What do you know? You were with Anna, you must know where she's living. Just tell me where I can find her." Sarah stepped aside as she waited to see how her eldest brother would react to Stefan's begging, particularly considering he'd recently stabbed him in the back.

"Nope. You can go. Really," Damon said as he looked to his brother with an evil smirk. He was now getting his own back for Stefan's betrayal. Sarah smiled a little, happy that Stefan wasn't going to get Elena back. He deserved to suffer for helping bringing Katherine back.

"You know, all I can remember is hating you. There might have been a time when that was different, but your choices have erased anything good about you. But I see, I also know you have just as much reason to hate me. This all began with me. Katherine got taken away from you because of me. And I'm sorry," Stefan apologised, praying it would be enough to convince Damon to help him.

"I think your forgetting the key part our sister played in that whole affair," Damon said as he pointed up to Sarah who was stood over the two. "And, I can't really accept your apology, unless she apologises too," Damon pointed out in fake regret. Stefan looked to Sarah, eyes begging her to play along so that he could save his girlfriend. Sarah made a show of thinking it over for a second before shaking her head.

"No," Sarah said as Stefan's face dropped, bringing a devilish smile to her face as she and Damon chuckled cruelly.

"Guess you should have burned that grimoire when you had the chance," Sarah said as she began to head for the door.

"I for one am glad you didn't," Damon spoke up as he raised his hand in the air.

"Shut it," Sarah snapped as she walked out, resuming her search for the grimoire.

* * *

Elena sighed when Bonnie's eyes finally began to open. Scarlett had been sat on the nearby toilet, since Elena didn't need her for anything, but she stood up when she saw Bonnie open her eyes.

"Bonnie?" Elena said in relief as Scarlett walked up behind her.

"Elena?" Bonnie asked in a daze as she slowly sat up. Her eyes then widened slightly when she saw Scarlett standing over Elena, looming behind her. Elena looked back seeing Scarlett and then turned back to Bonnie with a reassuring look.

"It's okay. This is Scarlett, Jeremy's friend," Elena explained as Bonnie nodded.

"Hi," Scarlett said with a friendly wave as Bonnie offered her a small smile.

"My head…" Bonnie then groaned as she placed her finger tips to her forehead.

"Come here," Elena said as she helped Bonnie into a siting up position in the bath.

"Oh my god! Ben is a-" Bonnie began to say before Elena shushed her, pointing to her own ear before then pointing at the door. She then motioned for Scarlett to turn on the sink on. Scarlett nodded, turning the tap and letting the water run out as she rejoined the other two girls by the tub.

"They can hear," Elena explained silently

"I'm so stupid," Bonnie sighed angrily.

"No, he had all of us fooled," Elena said reassuringly.

"Who did?" Scarlett asked with a frown.

"The other vampire. He tricked Bonnie into going on a date with him and then kidnapped her," Elena explained over her shoulder before turning back to Bonnie. Apparently the two vampires had been planning this for a while. You don't just wake up and decide to grab three people on the same night.

"What's going on? Why are we here?" Bonnie asked frantically.

"It must have something to do with the tomb and Emily's spell book," Elena explained.

"Spell book? Bonnie asked.

"Damon said it could be used to open the tomb," Elena explained.

"Why didn't I know about any of this?" Bonnie asked, sounding a little hurt.

"I was trying to keep you out of it, hoping it would never come to this," Elena sighed, angry with herself for not being able to protect her friend longer.

"Come to what?" Bonnie asked.

"They need a witch to break the spell and let the vampires out," Elena explained.

"No way!" Bonnie exclaimed.

"I know," Elena agreed.

"Wait… She's a witch!" Scarlett shouted in amazement before the door swung open and a young boy stepped in. Scarlett assumed this was the other vampire known as Ben. From one look she knew this guy was a jackass. She glared at him and he did the same as he turned off the sink.

"You're wasting your time. I'm not gonna help you," Bonnie said from the bathtub as she too glared at her former crush. Ben just smiled before grabbing Elena and pulling her from the other two girls. Both reached for her but Ben pushed Elena towards the door and then shoved Scarlett back towards the tub when she got to close. She would have fallen into the bath had Bonnie not been inside to catch her.

"That's why she's here. Motivation for you to behave," Ben said as he blocked Elena from getting back to her friends.

"So why the hell am I here?" Scarlett demanded as she stood back up, glaring at the vampire and wishing she had her necklace. She was only just able to stop herself from lunging at the vampire and kicking his ass.

"No idea. Though at a guess it's because Anna hates your guts," Ben said with a wicked grin before pushing Elena out the room. Scarlett raced for the door, but Ben had it closed before she could get close enough to stop him. She grabbed the handle and tried to open it, but Ben held it firmly shut.

"Listen to me, Anna you bitch! When I get out of here, you're gonna wish you'd stayed dead!" Scarlett shouted furiously though the door as she started to bang her fists only to give up and scream in frustration.

"It's going to be alright," Bonnie said, now standing up in the tub.

"Yeah…I know," Scarlett said quietly as she gathered her thoughts, taking deep breaths and trying to calm herself. As she did, her hearing began to focus on the next room. It wasn't taking that much of her supernatural strength to do so. If Bonnie really tried she could probably listen in if she pressed her head to the door. But with her head wound, she probably needed rest more than anything else.

"Who are you?" Elena asked.

"I'm Anna. Your brother may have mentioned me. I mean, we're like, practically dating," Anna said in girlish sarcasm. Scarlett clenched her fists tightly using all her will power to prevent herself from punching the wall. "He may have also mentioned he loves me way more than that bitch in there," Anna added, knowing full well Scarlett was listening in. And that was the last straw. Scarlett screamed as she turned around throwing her fist at the wall. She dented the wall despite her missing supernatural strength and screamed in a mix of anger and pain as she pulled away, shaking her aching fist that now had a mixture of dust, plaster and blood over it.

She looked over to Bonnie who had jumped at the action, wide worried eyes now focused on the teenager opposite her.

"Sorry," Scarlett apologised as she felt her supernatural healing begin to kick in.

* * *

After turning her the boarding house upside down and inside out Sarah was still no closer to finding the grimoire. She should have known better. Damon would never hide the grimoire in the house. He'd have hidden it somewhere smart, somewhere Sarah didn't even know existed. Her best bet would be to follow him until he led her to somewhere new. Of course, it wasn't helping that Damon was floating around her like an irritated fly that wouldn't buzz of. He'd been watching Sarah for some time, watching as she got more and more frustrated while he got more and more amused.

"Found it yet?" Damon asked smugly as he leaned against the door frame to his bedroom which Sarah was stood in. She just flipped the bed in blind rage and was breathing heavily. She was sick of hide and seek. Time for a new game.

"Shut it, Damon," Sarah spat as she marched up to him. She had to convince him she was done searching and was going off to do something else. Or at the very least get him to leave so she could follow. "I've had it with your stupid obsession with Katherine. I'm done! You can keep the damn grimoire, but Katherine still isn't getting out that tomb! I'll wait, and when Katherine steps out that tomb, I'll kill her!" Sarah shouted as Damon's face darkened.

"You kill Katherine, and I'll kill you. Remember, as far as I'm concerned, this family of yours, no longer exists," Damon said as he leaned in towards his sister, making sure she knew he was serious. She didn't believe him of course. He would be angry when this was all over, but he would forgive and Sarah would welcome him back with open arms. But first she had to get rid of Katherine first.

Sarah shot her brother one last final glare before shoving her way past him, knocking his shoulder before vanishing in a blur out into the forest. From there she waited until Damon emerged from the house, climbing into his car and driving off. Sarah followed from the forest, cutting off Damon as she tried to work out where he was going. She got lucky, just when Damon was about to out run her he pulled to a stop outside a quiet suburban house.

From a few houses down, Sarah made herself comfy before focusing her hearing on where Damon was. She listened to him knocking on the door before an elderly dark-skinned woman opened the door and looked out at Damon, carefully not to step over the threshold. Sarah stared at her, unsure as to what she was but she felt like she recognised her in some way.

"Yes?" the woman said.

"Hi there. I'm uh, looking for Bonnie," Damon said with his usual charming smile. So this woman had something to do with Bonnie… Of course! It must be her grandmother, another witch.

"She's not here," Bonnie's Grandma said firmly.

"Oh, well, do you know when she-"

"Never," Bonnie's Grandma cut in firmly again. Sarah grinned. She liked this woman. Damon might even have liked her a little as well since he chuckled. Either that or he was trying to be friendly which only meant he wanted something.

"You have quite an opinion for someone who doesn't know me," Damon pointed out.

"You got some nerve knocking on a Bennett witch's door and asking her for anything," Bonnie's Grandma said with a narrow eyed glare.

"What'd I do?" Damon asked playfully as he pointed to himself with both hands on his chest.

"Spirits talk, Mr. Salvatore, and so does my granddaughter," the elderly lady said with a forced smile. "You are no friend to us. Now get off my porch." As if accepting the challenge, Damon stepped closer towards the threshold, glaring down at the lady with his patience fading.

"Step outside and say that," he said darkly. Sarah got ready to run over in case the old lady needed her help. She may be a witch but Damon was a powerful vampire and in physical terms Damon could snap her like a twig. But as it became clear to Sarah, Bonnie's Grandma had some moves of her own. Her glaring at Damon intensified and suddenly he staggered back as his hands shot up to his head. As her brother stepped back, Bonnie's Grandma stepped out onto her porch, still glaring at Damon as he hunched over.

"I am not Bonnie. You don't wanna mess with me," Bonnie's Grandma said firmly before stepping back inside and slamming the door shut. It took all Sarah had not to laugh. This was brilliant. She'd watched Damon get his ass handed to him and learnt something else. He needed Bonnie to open the tomb, most likely since she was a descendant of Emily. Which gave Sarah another option in stopping Katherine. She could kill both the Bennett Witches. But that would only be a last resort. She wasn't keen on pissing off an entire line of witches by killing of the last of their family. First she'd try and destroy the grimoire.

She returned home after that, as did Damon. She managed to get home first though so to him it seemed like she'd never left. They exchanged glares as they past each other and Sarah made her way into the study were Stefan was pacing. And now the icing on the cake, she got to mess with Stefan.

"Found Elena yet?" Sarah asked with a grin as she walked in. He looked over for a brief moment before returning to his pacing. "Wonder if she's dead yet?" Sarah pounded aloud as she leaned back against the railing around the risen area of the study. Another angry glare from Stefan. "Maybe if you're lucky Damon's blood will still be in her system and she'll turn. Then you can teach her to feed… Oh, wait," Sarah sighed dramatically with a grin. Stefan's glare intensified, about ready to attack if Sarah made one more remark.

"Made I could teach her, and then we could both teach you. Then again, if she's alive then you can practise feeding on her!" Sarah said in girl like excitement as Stefan got ready to run at her. But he pulled to a stop when his phone started to ring. Sarah raised a curious eyebrow as Stefan glanced at his phone before quickly answering.

"Elena? Are you okay?" Stefan blurted out quickly.

"Ask her if she's turned yet?" Sarah added teasingly as Stefan turned away from her, doing his best to ignore her.

"She's fine," Sarah heard a feminine voice say from the other end of the phone. Sarah's guess was that it was Anna. "For now. Tell me you have the grimoire and she'll stay fine." Sarah began to laugh, and Stefan dropped his head as he realised how much trouble he was in. Both he and his sister knew he'd never be able to get the grimoire from Damon and he'd never willingly hand it over. From the doorway Sarah saw Damon walk in and lean against the frame, folding his arms as he watched his brother.

"I can get it," Stefan said slowly, head still lowered.

"Which means your brother has it. And I have the witch. So one of you had better meet me in the very public town square in 30 minutes so we can safely discuss how fun it's gonna be to work together," Anna said in delight from down the phone. "Oh. And tell that sister of yours that if she tries to stop me from opening the tomb, I'll be killing her little dog." Sarah's eyes widened as she stepped away from the railing and over to Stefan, snatching the phone from him.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sarah demanded into the phone but all she heard was a low tone. "Anna? Anna?" Sarah said as she looked at the screen, seeing the call had been ended. "Damn it," Sarah crushed as she threw the phone back at Stefan who caught it.

"Is this the part where you both start grovelling?" Damon asked from behind as both his younger siblings turned to glare at him as he walked out of the room. Smiling smugly as Stefan and Sarah shared reluctant worried looks.

* * *

Well at least Sarah now knew she was in danger. Scarlett couldn't necessarily count on her to come and save her, but she knew she'd try. Until then she had to stay alive or get her necklace and then run the vampires out the room. Once she transformed she would be hard to stop. But she couldn't do it without her necklace and Anna had it.

Scarlett was snapped from her thoughts when the bathroom door opened up. Ben stepped through, glaring at the werewolf and the witch before motioning for them to step into the next room. When neither obliged, he grabbed them both and shoved them into the bedroom where Anna and Elena were waiting for them. Anna was by the door and Elena was sat on one of the two beds quietly, concern filling her eyes at the sight of Scarlett and her best friend being pushed around.

"I'm leaving," Anna declared, as if she was just popping out to the shops to get some milk. "Keep them buttoned down. Compulsion won't work. Just use violence."

Ben who nodded. "Right. I got that," he sighed before pushing Bonnie onto the other bed and Scarlett onto the same one as Elena. Scarlett landed on the bed and turned around before seeing Anna walked out, closing the room's door behind her.

"Sit. Behave," he said to the room before sitting down on a chair that was facing the two beds, the three teenagers staring back at him as he turned to Bonnie. "So you're the key to this. Literally. The one who opens the door," Ben said, clearly getting a kick out of all this. Scarlett was already hating this guy's guts. He was basically just Anna's servant anyway, anyone could see that. He was just a tool to her, like the rest of them.

"Tell me, how long have you been a witch?"

"Is there anything to drink here?" Elena spoke up, trying to get Ben to leave her friend alone.

"Are you offering?" Ben snapped as he stood up with a grin, as he stepped towards Elena and Scarlett.

"Sit down dead boy," Scarlett growled as she stood up, ready to fight. Ben exposed his fangs, his eyes darkening with blood as he tried to scare Scarlett. "Gonna have to try harder than that drop out. Or should I say drop dead?" Scarlett spat as Ben shoved her, sending her topping backwards over the bed and to the floor. Ben chuckled as Scarlett climbed back up, glaring at him as she did. He wouldn't be laughing if she had her necklace.

"There's water on the night stand," Ben said pointing to the table between the beds before sitting back down. Elena reached for the water and took a sip.

"Hey. Can I have a sip?" Bonnie asked as she looked to Elena pointedly. Both Elena and Scarlett knew she had a plan, but neither could figure out what it was. They shared a confused look before Bonnie, nodded subtly, telling them to trust her. Elena then handed over the glass and Bonnie looked it over before turning to Ben and throwing the water over him. Scarlett could have slapped Bonnie in that moment. That was her big plan, through water on him! Did she think it was holy water or something!

Then she saw the water on Ben catch fire and she jumped along with Elena as Ben jumped up to his feet, trying to pat down the flames on his soaking arm. Taking their chance to escape, Bonnie ran from the bed to the door and threw it open. Elena and Scarlett ran to follow but by the time they reach Ben he already had the fire out. The two girls tried to get around him, well, Elena tried, Scarlett lunged for the vampire determined to kill him only to get grabbed by the throat as Ben pulled Elena towards him, wrapping his arm around her.

"Come back in!" Ben shouted at Bonnie who was stood in the doorway. One arm was wrapped around Elena's neck and the other holding Scarlett's throat, choking her enough to keep her at bay as she struggled against him. Scarlett tried to yell at Bonnie to run and get help, but her voice came out as more of croak than actually dialogue.

But unfortunately, Bonnie stepped back inside the room. "Shut the door!" Ben added angrily and Bonnie did as told with a scared look to the two girls.

"Don't hurt them," Bonnie begged.

"Don't make me," Benn snarled. "Lock it!" he then snapped and Bonnie bolted the door shut, making it even harder for them to escape now. "Back on the beds! Now!" Ben shouted as he shoved Elena and Scarlett back over to their bed while Bonnie ran back onto her own. "If anyone tries anything again. The youngest one dies," Ben snarled as he pointed to Scarlett. She was about to dare him to try but bit down on her tongue. They were in enough trouble as it was, and her smart mouth wasn't going to help. She just needed to hold out until Sarah or Stefan arrived.

But then she saw the black crystal necklace on the table by the window. Her necklace. If she could just get to it, then she'd have her supernatural powers back and she'd be able to show this vampire what she could really do. But it was too early to act now. She needed to be smart, wait for Ben to calm down and then make her move. She wasn't going to let either of the two older girls die. One was Jeremy's sister and the other had just put her own life in danger to keep her safe. It was only fair she returned the favour.

* * *

Sarah had managed to arrive before Damon which was more than likely because she left the second after hearing about the meeting. Since then she'd been staked out by the Grill, watching the square in case either Damon or Anna showed up. She'd planed on listening in on them both before deciding what to do next. She couldn't just go barging in, she was going to have to play it safe and then possibly tail Anna back to wherever she was holding Scarlett, Elena and Bonnie. Once they were safe she could get back to destroying the grimoire. And if that didn't work she still had her back up plan.

"Anna!" Sarah's head shot up towards Jeremy who was running across the street to meet up with Anna who Sarah now spotted. She cringed a little, worried that Jeremy had unknowingly blown her cover to Anna. Luckily it seemed she was thrown by Jeremy's appearance and didn't notice her sitting in front of the Grill with her sun glasses on.

"Hey-uh, what happened to you last night?" Jeremy asked as he came to a stop in front of Anna who looked nervously up at him.

"Sorry, I had to leave. I told your sister to tell you," Anna said as she looked around the park, probably for Damon.

"I haven't seen her," Jeremy admitted, not giving it much thought.

"Well, I gotta run, so-" Anna said trying to leave but Jeremy continued to talk and Anna couldn't find it in her to leave.

"Hey, do you wanna go to a party tonight?" Jeremy asked as Anna turned back to her.

"Go to what?" Anna asked, baffled by what he was suddenly asking her.

"Oh, the guy who's throwing it is a total douche, but it's supposed to be fun. I figured, you know, safety in numbers," Jeremy said with a chuckle.

Anna chuckled, now giving Jeremy her attention. "So, you're finally ready to go out with me, are you?" Anna asked.

"Em… No… I was meaning more a group thing. Like you, me and Scarlett. I'm sure you two would get along great." Sarah watched closely as Anna visibly grimace at the thought, though Jeremy somehow missed it. "The party's in the woods by that old cemetery," Jeremy added as the same thought passed through both Sarah and Anna's heads. _Of course!_

"Oh, it's there, huh?" Anna sighed. "That sounds cool. Un, I'll meet you and Scarlett there I guess," Anna said nervously as she turned away from Jeremy, but Sarah could see the hurt on her face, from being turned down by Jeremy again.

"Okay! Great! I'll catch you later," Jeremy said as he waved goodbye and started to walk off while Anna made her way into the park. Sarah shook her head as she watched Jeremy out the corner of her eye. The kid was oblivious at times, she wondered if he was at all as bright as Elena. Or maybe his love for Scarlett was just blinding him to everything else.

Her eyes quickly refocused on Anna as she sat down at a park bench. Anna looked over to the left and then Damon was sat beside her, as if he'd been there all alone.

"Got a hot date or are you just planning on nabbing the entire Gilbert family?" Damon asked as he eyed Anna, not even nothing Sarah across the road as she watched the two.

"A party, right next to the old cemetery. Isn't that nice of them?" Anna said with a devilish smile. "Lots of warm bodies for the starving vampires." Now Sarah had a possible time frame for when they were going to open the tomb, perfect.

"I told you. I work alone," Damon said as he looked away from Anna, getting right to the point and not even thinking twice about those in danger.

"Yeah, so do I," Anna said irritably. "But you're minus a witch and I'm minus a spell book. So what do you say?"

"Stefan will come after you, you know that. For messing with Elena," Damon said with a smug grin as she turned back to Anna. "So will Sarah probably. She seems to actually care about that kid that's living in my house," Damon said as he turned away again.

"Then they won't be too happy if I kill them when I don't get what I want," Anna snapped with a glare. Sarah's jaw tightened as did her fists, now staring daggers into Anna's head. How dare she threaten her ward. Scarlett was in her protection and anybody that messed with her was going pay dearly, Sarah would make sure of that if Scarlett couldn't.

"If you're going to kill them, do me a favour and start with the kid. Sarah will get over her a lot faster than Stefan will with Elena," Damon said, still acting like he didn't care all that much. When this was all over Sarah was going to teach him not to ignore threats to her ward. She wasn't too fused about Elena, that was Stefan's problem, but she would force Damon to watch out for Scarlett, even if she had to break every bone in his body to do so.

Anna stood up, having had enough and began to walk off as Damon grimaced, internally battling with himself as he thought about how much he wanted Katherine back and more importantly how quickly he wanted her back. Sarah knew he'd cave before he did, so she just leaned back and waited for them to say the crucial information.

"When do you want to do this?" Damon finally spoke up. Anna stopped and turned back around with a mocking grin before she laughed at Damon.

"God, it's like 1864 all over again. You Salvatores are truly pathetic when it comes to women. And that includes your sister," Anna said with a smirk as Sarah imagined driving a stake through her back. She probably would soon enough. "Tonight. After sundown. Meet at the church," Anna said before turning and walking away. Yes, Sarah would meet them at the church. Along with enough weapons to kill every one of those stinking vampires, especially Katherine.


	16. Fool Me Once

_Review responses:_

 _Kelena-forever: Still not sure one whether Sarah and Elena will become a thing or not but it seems most people want them too so we'll see. And as for Katherine...it's extremely unlikely considering their past history._

 _Preferred this chapter so much to the last one personal, especially the fight at the tomb and I can't wait hear what you guys think about it! This should also be about the halfway portion of the story, chapter wise at least and I can't wait to get onto the tomb vampires and more original stuff!_

 _Thanks also for all the favourites and follows you guys! And don't forget to leave a review, I respond to every one and that's the same for PMs. I just love hearing what you all have to say and it makes my day and encourages me to write more. Hope you all enjoy the latest update to the story and I'll see you later!_

* * *

 **Chapter 16: Fool Me Once**

* * *

Scarlett watched as Ben paced back and forth between the beds, watching the three girls as he did before turning to Bonnie. As he did, Scarlett's eyes moved over to the table by the door where he necklace was lying. All she needed was a distraction and she'd be able to reach it, then she could hold off Ben while Elena and Bonnie got out. Then she'd tear this dickhead apart.

"Witches don't have eternal life, right?" Ben asked as he grinned at Bonnie. "So you guys can die."

"Yep. We can die," Bonnie said as she looked up, trying to be brave as Ben grinned down at her.

"Ah. That sucks," Ben said as he began pacing again.

"Real original," Scarlett muttered with a roll of the eyes.

"What was that?" Ben snarled as he advanced on Scarlett.

"I was just saying you're not really original, are you?" Scarlett asked with a mocking look as she tilted her head to the side. She wasn't going to be able to get to her necklace without raising Ben's suspicion. He'd spot her the second she headed for the door and would knock her down. Unless he threw her at the door and she happened to grab her necklace before coming back over.

"Shut it," Ben snarled angrily.

"Another gem," Scarlett muttered sarcastically. The next second, she was hoisted up, a strong hand clamped around her throat as he forced her to look at his now blood red eyes.

"I said, shut it!" Ben snapped as he fangs bared.

"Make me," Scarlett snarled back, matching Ben's predatory glare.

"Let her go!" Elena shouted from beside her.

"Good idea," Ben said with a wicked smile before moving in a blur and throwing Scarlett across the room and into the table her necklace was lying on. Scarlett hit the wall and dropped to the floor with a groan, but the pain quickly vanished when she saw her necklace within arm's reach. "That shut you up," Ben said as he stood over Scarlett. "Now get back on the bed," Ben ordered, pointing to where Elena was.

"Just give her a second," Elena begged.

"Shut up!" Ben shouted again, his voice echoing around the room. As Ben looked over to Elena, Scarlett grabbed her necklace, hiding it in her hand before slowly getting up. She shot Ben one last spiteful look before walking back to the bed. But once Ben could no longer see her face, she grinned as she looked down at the black crystal in her hand. Time to show this vampire wannabe that Scarlett's bark was nothing compared to her bite.

She put her necklace back on, still standing as Elena frowned at her, confused by what she was doing.

"Sit down," Ben ordered but Scarlett remind standing as Elena and Bonnie's eyes widened with worry. "I said sit down you idiot!" Ben shouted as he advanced on the teenage girl. But just as he went to reach for her throat, Scarlett wheeled around and grabbed Ben by the throat, lifting him up and shoving him against the wall. From behind she heard Elena and Bonnie gasp as her eyes flashed amber in the face of Ben who glared back at her, shocked by her sudden strength.

"Time to let the wolf out," Scarlett snarled lowly as she clenched her fist and began punching the vampire in the chest. Ben grunted a few times before kicking Scarlett back. She stumbled but regained her balance. Ben tried to rush her, but Scarlett knocked his arms aside with her own when he went to grab her throat. She then threw her head at Ben's, hitting him so hard he stumbled back clutching his head as he swore.

With Ben off balance, Scarlett charged, shoving Ben into the wall with her arm pressed against his throat while the other held down on of his arm. "Get out!" Scarlett shouted over her shoulder to Elena and Bonnie.

"But what about you?" Elena shouted back as she stood up, rushing over to get Bonnie moving.

"I'll be fine, just get help!" Scarlett ordered as Ben pushed her off. Then seeing Elena and Bonnie heading for the door, he ran over blocking their escape.

"I don't think so," Ben snarled. Scarlett ran at him, grabbing him by the head and slamming it against the door. The sound of breaking wood echoed followed by the sound of sizzling meat. Ben began to scream, his skin catching on fire as sun light from the outside hit him. Scarlett then pulled him back and threw him towards the bathroom before breaking the bolt on the door.

"Go!" Scarlett shouted as she ushered the two girls out the door. Ben got back to his feet, at vamp speed, ready for another run. But the second he began to move Scarlett pulled the door open fully and the sun light hit Ben. He screamed in pain as his whole body began to burn. He stopped mid run and changed course, diving in between the beds as Scarlett grabbed onto the closed curtains with her claws, ripping them off as more light filled the room. Then she advanced on Ben.

"Time for some pay back, Ben" Scarlett snarled as she pulled Ben up by the collar, sun light hitting his neck as smoke began to drift up and he screamed. Scarlett raised her fist back ready to start beating the vampire like her uncle used to back before she killed him. But before she could throw even a single punch someone grabbed her wrist firmly, stopping her.

Her head swung around, expecting Anna but instead found Stefan. She retracted her unnoticed claws and made sure her eyes didn't flash as she loosened her hold on Ben, letting him drop back down beneath the beds. Once she did, Stefan let go of Scarlett's wrist and gently pushed her behind him. She didn't argue and luckily, he didn't ask any questions. Stefan just turned his attention to the cowering Ben.

"When the sun goes down, leave town. Otherwise she'll be the least of your problems. And if Me, or my Sister, ever see you again, we will kill you," Stefan said firmly before grabbing Scarlett's arm and leading her out the motel room, leaving Ben trapped beneath the beds as sun light shone in the room. Scarlett had to admit, she enjoyed watching Ben whimper as she walked out. It was almost as good as beating him…almost.

Afterwards Stefan drove them over to Bonnie's Grandma's. Scarlett didn't want to stay though and had gone to leave when Stefan stopped her. He refused to let her go out alone, what with Anna still out there and now more than likely out for blood. Plus, she wasn't found of Scarlett to begin with. Eventually though, after constant complaining, Stefan drove her back to the Salvatore boarding house and dropped her off before heading back to Bonnie's Grandma's to be with Elena.

Scarlett didn't linger outside for long, heading into the house before Stefan's car could leave her sight. Eager to get back to Sarah as quickly as possible. Last thing she needed was to get kidnapped again. Jogged into the living room, she came to a stop as she found Sarah and Damon staring at each other, both sat on opposite couches.

"Am I interrupting something?" Scarlett asked as she looked between the two glaring siblings.

"No, brat. My sister here is just trying to get under my skin," Damon said with a smug smile to his sister.

"Where's the grimoire, Damon?" Sarah demanded from across the coffee table, arms folded as she glared at her brother, not even glancing over at Scarlett. Admittedly it hurt a little. She thought Sarah would have cared a little when she was kidnapped and more importantly when she returned. Maybe she was just her pet.

"See what I mean," Damon said with a raised eyebrow to Scarlett before he stood up. "Now I'm sensing you two what some time alone, so I'll just leave," Damon said, using his fingers to point to the two before walking over to the archway Scarlett was stood in. Sarah watched him leave, eyes never leaving him and even when he was gone she stared at the last spot she'd seen him before turning to Scarlett. Her frown dropped, and a smile formed as she slid over on the couch and patted the spot next to her.

"Come here," Sarah said in a friendly tone. Scarlett smiled a little and joined Sarah on the couch. She guessed that Sarah did actually care about her, just not as much as her family which wasn't surprising. It was obvious how much Sarah cared about her family. Scarlett just wished she had something like that. Then as Scarlett sat down, Sarah quickly pulled her into a tight hug.

"Sorry," Sarah said as she pulled away. "I just didn't want to give Damon the satisfaction of seeing me worried. I'm glad you're alright." And Scarlett knew she was telling the truth.

"Thanks," Scarlett said with a shy smile.

"You are okay though, right? Anna didn't hurt you?" Sarah asked as she gave Scarlett quick look over.

"Nah. Ben pushed me around a little, but once I got my necklace back I showed him I'm not just some kid," Scarlett said with a grin as she fingered her necklace. Sarah grinned back, proud of her ward for standing up to the vampires that had kidnapped her. "So, what now? 'Cause from what I gathered Anna needed Bonnie to open the tomb."

"Since a Bennett witch sealed the tomb only a Bennett witch can open. Whoever has Bonnie and the grimoire can open it," Sarah explained as she grew serious.

"So Damon has the grimoire, and Stefan's taken Bonnie to her gran's," Scarlett explained to herself with a frown. "So no one can open the tomb?"

"For now, yes. So hopefully Stefan will protect Bonnie until we find the grimoire."

"And how are we going to find it? You've been looking for it all day and found nothing," Scarlett pointed out with a skeptical look.

"Well it's a good thing I've got your nose to help me now," Sarah said with a confident smile to Scarlett who grinned back before sniffing. Sarah's head then suddenly jerked to the side as a look of focus came over her face.

"Someone's coming," she said as she started at the door.

Scarlett sniffed the air. "It's Elena," Scarlett answered before Sarah vamp speeded over and grabbed Scarlett pulling her off to the side of the room as the front door opened. Scarlett almost yelped from the sudden movement, but Sarah put her finger to her lips, indicating for her to be quiet. Scarlett nodded to show she understood and then they waited as Elena made her way through the house and into the study. Sarah and Scarlett followed quietly, not wanting to alert Elena or Damon to their presence. Once outside the study, the pair waited and listened.

"I'm gonna have to change the locks," Damon said after a moment, only having just noticed Elena's presence. "You stage a jailbreak?"

"Something like that," Elena answered. "You going somewhere?"

"I don't see how that's any of your business," Damon snapped back as he firmly pulled on his jacket.

"I convinced Bonnie to help you," Elena said slowly. Sarah's eyes widened in horror. She'd done what?! She turned to Scarlett who had a knowing look. She knew how hard this must have been for Sarah, to have come so close to stopping Katherine once and for all, only to have it all torn away by Elena of all people. Scarlett couldn't understand why she would do that, Elena was such a nice girl.

"I doubt that," Damon replied.

"I'm not gonna say that I'm sorry we got the grimoire without you last night, because I'm not really," Elena explained.

"Well, at least you're honest," muttered Damon. And also a backstabbing little bitch, Sarah thought. She should have known better than to trust anyone with Katherine's face. And now she was doing the same thing Katherine had all those years ago. She was trying to break up her family. She was quite happy to send Damon off into the sunset with Katherine and keep Stefan all for herself. It made Sarah want to scream.

"I was protecting the people I love, Damon. But so were you, in your own, twisted way. And as hard as it is to figure, we're all on the same side, after the same thing," Elena explained as she walked closer to Damon.

"Uh-uh," Damon said knowingly. "Your forgetting about my dear little sister. She wants Katherine dead and wants me and Stefan to stay together. The way you want this to end is very different to the way she wants it to end." Elena sighed, knowing he was right. Yet she didn't say anything, like Sarah was just collateral damage in all this. Sarah hated Elena in that moment. In some ways she was so much worse than Katherine.

"Anyway, I'm not interested," Damon added.

"Yes you are, because you were willing to work with us yesterday," Elena pointed out.

"Fool me once, shame on you," countered Damon. For that moment Sarah felt a little hope. Maybe if Damon wouldn't work with Elena and Stefan they'd realise they'd be better off helping Sarah stop him.

"Okay, when we were in Atlanta, why didn't you use your compulsion on me?" Elena asked. It was a question Sarah had been wondering herself. She'd heard from Stefan about what had happened a few weeks ago but couldn't understand why Damon hadn't used the chance to mess with Elena's head. Sarah would have if she'd been there, just to see Stefan's face. She wouldn't have done anything harmful, but now she might if she caught Elena without her vervain necklace on.

"What's to say I didn't?" Damon asked smugly. Now that sounded more like the old Damon, Sarah thought.

"You didn't. I know you didn't," Elena said shakily, her nerves beginning to show. "But you could have. You and I…we have something. An understanding. And I know that my betrayal hurt you, different from how it is with you Stefan, but I'm promising you this now, I will help you get Katherine back."

"I wish I could believe you," Damon muttered, unconvinced. Sarah then heard the sound of a necklace unclasping.

"Ask me if I'm lying now," Elena ordered. It took Sarah a second to realise what was going on, but then Elena dropped her necklace onto the nearby table, Sarah suddenly realised. She had no vervain, she was completely open to compulsion. Damon could make her do anything, he could force her to help him, maybe he had. Maybe back in Atlanta Damon did compel her, making sure that when he needed her she'd help him get Katherine back. She wouldn't put it past her brother. He basically was an evil genius.

"You know Anna won't stop, by the way, no matter what I do," Damon pointed out.

"Then we'll deal with it," Elena said determinedly.

"And Sarah?" added Damon. "She's never going to swing around to this idea."

"I can only hope that one day she'll understand," Elena said simply which only made Sarah madder. She was getting sick of listening to the two talk, but she needed to make sure she didn't miss any crucial information. The sound of the necklace being picked up then filled the room and Damon moved over to Elena to put her necklace back on.

"I didn't compel you in Atlanta because we were having fun. I wanted it to be real. I'm trusting you. Don't make me regret it," Damon said as he began to walk out. Sarah quickly looked to Scarlett who nodded in silent agreement. Sarah grabbed her shoulder and then ran away in a blur before Damon could see them. She ran them both up to Scarlett's room before closing the door behind her.

Sarah then let Scarlett fall back onto her bed before she dashed into the bathroom and turned on the sink, letting the water hid their conversation from anyone listening in. She then returned to the bedroom to find Scarlett sat on the foot of her bed with her legs crossed over.

"So now Damon has both the spell book and the witch," Scarlett summed up.

"Yeah," Sarah sighed as she ran her hand through her hair. She was struggling to stay calm. Having Elena and her two brothers turn on her to help Katherine was making her tremble with rage. She had been so close to getting them all back together. There would still have been a lot to sort out after finishing off Katherine but if she came back that would be the end of her family. She couldn't lose that dream. Sometimes it was all that kept them going.

"So what's the plan? Scarlett asked, ready to get in on more of the action. Sarah eyed her for a moment before blowing out a breath of air.

"We're going to the cemetery, tonight," Sarah explained as she bit her thumbnail. "We'll wait for them to open the tomb and then I'll kill Katherine," Sarah explained.

"What do you want me to do?" Scarlett asked as she leaned forward.

"I just need you to watch my back. But don't get into a fight unless you have too. You shouldn't have to expose your…werewolfness, if you don't have too," Sarah said as Scarlett nodded back, accepting the plan. It was finally time to end this and start down the road to healing her family.

* * *

Sarah and Scarlett managed to arrive at the party before Damon and Elena. That gave them enough time to look around for suitable hiding spot. They found one on the edge of the party but in sight of the cemetery with higher ground. They waited there while Stefan worked away in the tomb, the two Bennett witches waiting outside for the others to arrive. A few minutes later Stefan walked back out of the church ruins that lead down to the tomb.

"Cleared the debris away. Set the torches like you asked. We can go down now," Stefan said to the witches as he joined them.

"What is that?" Bonnie asked as she nodded to the gasoline canisters and homemade flamethrower. Sarah grinned. _How nice of her brothers to bring her the tools to kill Katherine_ , she thought.

"It's everything I need to destroy them," Stefan explained.

"Are you sure that Damon will come back with her?" Bonnie's grandma asked right before Damon whistled and walked through the forest towards them. Elena trailing behind him.

"Brother," Damon said as he turned to Stefan. "Witches," he added as he nodded to them. The grimoire in his hands as he descended into the ruins below.

"Everything okay?" Stefan asked as Elena joined him.

"I just want to get this over with. Are we ready?" she asked the group, arms folded across her chest, eager to get this over with. She wasn't the only one.

"I guess so," Bonnie muttered before the group descend into the ruins. Sarah and Scarlett remained where they were though, waiting for Katherine to come back out with them. There was no reason for them to go barging down only to find they hadn't saved Katherine yet. She much preferred to wait for Katherine to come her.

Sarah flinched suddenly when she felt Scarlett knock her elbow. She looked over with a confused and irritated frown before Scarlett nodded over to a figure coming out of the woods. Whoever he was he had someone slung over his back and dropped him on the ground near the tomb. Sarah narrowed her eyes as she tried to get a look at either of the two faces, but the shadows clouded their faces from sight.

"Oh no," Scarlett sudden gasped as her eyes widened.

"What?" Sarah hissed as she turned to Scarlett who was staring down at the two.

"It's the vampire from the motel…and he's got Jeremy," Scarlett said with a worried look to Sarah. Sarah quickly gripped Scarlett's shoulder, making sure she wouldn't run out and give them away. They couldn't afford to slip up now, but she wouldn't let Jeremy die either, not when Scarlett cared about him so much.

"He's not going to kill him. Not yet anyway. He's using him as leverage. If he tries anything we'll rush him. Otherwise I'll take care of Katherine and you protect Jeremy," Sarah explained carefully, still holding onto Scarlett who nodded before turning back to the vampire and Jeremy. She wanted to run in now and save him, to pick him up and take him home. But she was here to help Sarah and like the vampire had said, he wasn't going to die right this second. They had some time. She just had to be careful.

The two remained silent as they watched Ben stand over Jeremy licking his lips.

"If he tries to bite him I'll-" Scarlett held her tongue when she saw Stefan emerge from the ruins below. He took a few steps towards the flamethrowers before noticing Ben and stopping.

"Dark down there?" Ben asked with a grin as Stefan turned fully to face him.

"Thought I told you to leave," Stefan said as he met eyes with the young vampire.

"I considered it. Then I thought, screw you," Ben said cockily as Sarah and Scarlett rolled their eyes.

"Hey, hero." Everyone turned to see Anna now standing behind Stefan, having just appeared. "I'm going down there to get my mother," Anna then said determinedly as her joking demeanour flicked off like a switch.

"I can't let you do that," Stefan said as he turned around, ready to face her.

"Well, Ben's about to make a main course out of Elena's little brother," Anna pointed out as Stefan looked back over to ben who was kneeling down next to Jeremy, ready to feed.

"Time to move," Sarah whispered to Scarlett before both quietly descended the hill to opposite sides of the standoff. Scarlett moved behind Ben and Jeremy while Sarah went behind Anna. Both using their supernatural speed to remain undetected.

"So you can stop me, or him. Your choice," Anna said as she turned to run into the tomb only to find Sarah blocking her path.

"You missed option three," Sarah said with a smug grin down at the short vampire who stared back at her with wide surprised eyes. "Ambush," Sarah said as she rushed Anna, using her vamp speed to grab her and shove her against a nearby tree.

"Ben!" Anna shouted as her vampire features came out. Ben brought out his own fangs and got ready to kill Jeremy. Stefan ran but he was too far away to reach him in time. Luckily Scarlett was right behind him and tackled him away from Jeremy.

"You again!" snarled Ben from beneath Scarlett.

"You shouldn't have messed with my friend," Scarlett snarled back, her irises glowing as her own canines came out. She was just about to sink her teen into Ben's neck when he kicked her off and sent her flying over towards Jeremy. She would have landed right on top of him had Stefan not ran in and caught her in his arms. "Thanks," Scarlett said as Stefan sat her down.

"Stay with Jeremy," Stefan ordered before dashing forwards to meet Ben. Ben swung at him with his fist, but Stefan ducked and swung his arm at Ben's legs, flipping him over onto his back. He then took a few steps back as Ben vamp speeded up to his feet. The two then met again and started to collide with each other's fists as the fight continued.

Scarlett watched them go at it from beside an unconscious Jeremy, one hand resting on his head to make sure he was still there. In her head she was trying to work out who would win. Ben was younger than Stefan, and since vampires got stronger with age Stefan had the advantage. But Ben fed on human blood, Stefan didn't, which made him weaker. At a guess Scarlett would put her money on Stefan but from the way the fight was going it looked like Ben had Stefan on the ropes. Stefan was blocking more and backing away while Ben was swinging his fists and constantly advancing on his opponent.

Her free hand wrapped around her necklace as she looked on determinedly. If she needed to, she'd intervene. But only if she had too.

* * *

Back across the ruins, Sarah and Anna had started their own fight. Anna had managed to pry herself free from Sarah, being older than her gave her a huge advantage over the Salvatore Sister. However Sarah was managing to hold her own against Anna. Lexi had taught her a few tricks to dealing with older vampires. Since Anna had the superior strength and speed, Sarah had to keep on the defensive and only strike during precise moments. Lexi also had told her to drink plenty of blood right before fighting an old vampire, which she already done in case she needed to fight Katherine. And lastly was to try and get into their head and throw them off their game.

"I wouldn't worry about you mother. You won't be seeing her again. She was always a bit snobbish anyway. No idea why you'd want her back," Sarah taunted as she ducked under another of Anna's punches before backing up.

"Shut up!" Anna snapped as she tried to rush past Sarah only to be tripped up by her as ran. Sarah then quickly grabbed the downed vampire and threw her away from the entrance to the ruins.

"Let me guess, you were never good at football," Sarah teased as Anna jumped back up to her feet. She screamed and ran at Sarah. The younger vampire tried to side step the attack, but Anna compensated for that and tackled her to the ground, pinning down her arms.

"I just want my mother. Why can't you just let me save her and leave. Wouldn't you do the same if it was your mother?" Anna asked as she loomed over Sarah, emotion flooding into her eyes. Sarah felt her pain then, she did, but she couldn't risk it, not with Katherine being in the same tomb as Anna's mother.

"My mother's long dead," Sarah snapped back before flipping Anna over so that she was now on top of her. It didn't last long though, she was quickly sent flying and hit a tree trunk before landing on the ground. When she looked up she saw Anna running into the ruins. She couldn't risk her ruining her chance to kill Katherine by warning her and the other vampires. She didn't like it, but she had to go in after her and Katherine. She quickly got up, snapping of a large branch she quickly manufactured a stake and ran down into the ruins.

By the time she got down to the torch lit room, Anna had already gone inside. She looked to Bonnie and her grandma before running in after the vampire, ignoring whatever Bonnie had been about to say to her. She didn't have time for whatever she was saying. She had to take her chance to kill Katherine once and for all.

* * *

"Do you really think that she cares about you? You're disposable," Stefan said as he faced off against Ben. He'd managed to put some distance between himself and the newbie vampire, but he was already tired, and Ben hadn't even broken a sweat yet.

"I don't care. She already gave me what I want," Ben said as he stepped forward, a confident smirk on his face.

"Are you going to say 'eternal life'? You really that stupid?" Stefan asked, still breathing heavily from the fighting.

"You don't feed, do you. So you're not strong enough to beat me," Ben said with a wicked smile as he ran forwards. Stefan braced himself, but it wasn't enough, and Ben tackled him to the ground before ramming his fist into Stefan's chest. Stefan gasped in pain as he felt Ben's hand clutch around his heart, ready to pull it out. He would have too had a blurry figure not ran over and tackled him off of Stefan, allowing his chest to heal.

"Maybe he's not, but I am!" growled Scarlett, her werewolf features now completely showing.

"Piss off mutt!" Ben snarled as he threw Scarlett off of him and rushed back up to his feet. Scarlett landed on all fours and let out a threatening growl before running back at Ben. He ran at her and both collided. Ben punched her, Scarlett scratched him with her claws. Blood flew in all directions until finally Ben kicked her into a tree and raced over to pin her, his arm shoved against her throat.

"I'm going to enjoy finishing you off!" Ben shouted before Stefan pulled him back and pushed him against another tree as Scarlett collapsed on the ground.

"Leave her alone!" Stefan snapped as his own vampire features finally came out. Ben shoved him back and then followed through with several strong punches that knocked Stefan off his feet. He then snapped a branch off the nearby tree and positioned it over Stefan's heart. He raised it up above his head but right before he could stab Stefan a wolf bit into his arm and knocked him aside. Ben cried out in pain as the wolf tore his hand off.

Stefan watched in wide eyed confusion as the wolf backed away from Ben, who was clutching his handless arm, blood gushed out as the remaining skin flapped around with his movements. Stefan looked over to the black haired wolf which raised its shoulders, ready to pounce on Ben if he tired anything else. It was then Stefan noticed the black crystal necklace hanging around the wolf's neck. The necklace that Scarlett always wore. Stefan's eyes then widened even further when he realised that the wolf was in fact Scarlett.

The wolf looked over to Stefan and its golden eyes softening slightly as it's shoulders lowered. Just looking into its eyes, Stefan knew it was Scarlett. She'd helped save his life while exposing her secret which he was certain Sarah already knew. _Was this way she'd taken her in?_

His eyes darted back over to Ben and he raised his hand as he did. "Look out!" he yelled as he pointed over to Ben who was running at Scarlett. She followed his direction but it was too late. Ben had kicked her over onto her side and shoved his armless hand against her throat keeping her down.

"I'll kill you for that! You stupid dog!" Ben shouted furiously as he got ready to sink his fangs into Scarlett's neck as she frantically waved her paws around, trying to knock him off.

"Actually," Stefan spoke up as Ben looked over to see him holding one of the flamethrowers. "She's a wolf," Stefan said before pulling the trigger. A burst of flames shot out hitting Ben and lighting him as he rolled off Scarlett. He stared screaming at the top of his lungs, rolling this way and that as he tried to put out the flames that were quickly consuming his body. Ducking under the fames Scarlett ran over to Stefan's side and watched as Ben burned.

Once Ben dropped, a burnt dead corpse, Stefan lowered the flamethrower and turned to Scarlett who was looking up at him. Like a loyal dog waiting for its owner to take it for a walk.

"Is it really you?" Stefan asked, nodding with his head towards the necklace around the wolf's neck. Scarlett looked down, almost like she hadn't understood him before looking back up and nodding, the golden glow in her eyes now less furious and more friendly. "Alright," Stefan said slowly. "You stay with Jeremy, I'm going after Sarah," he explained, motioning over to Jeremy and the ruins at the appropriate time. Scarlett looked over to Jeremy and nodded before walking over and lying down beside him, gently licking his face before resting her head on her folded paws.

Stefan smiled a little at the sight before then dropping the flamethrower and running down into the ruins and then on in to the tomb.

* * *

As Sarah made her way through the tomb, only just able to see in the darkness thanks to her supernatural sight, she heard a yelp from up ahead. She ran through the twisting tunnels until she found light shining from around the corner. She stopped by the corner, not wanting to give herself away until she knew who was on the other end.

"You must have a taste for it," Anna said from around the corner. "You scream and shriek and even bother to escape, but then you just come right back to it." Another yelp and scuffling of feet that made Sarah even more curious about who was around the corner. "Mother! Mother… Your boyfriend did this, you know."

"His father did," Elena replied, and Sarah sighed. Not who she needed to be worried about right now. She had to find Damon and Katherine. If she could she'd come back for Elena, but she had her priorities straight in her head and Katherine's death topped Elena's survival. She said a silent apology to Elena before vanishing back down the tomb, trying another route in hopes of finding Katherine.

"Katherine? Katherine?" Sarah could hear her brother down the tunnel. She rushed into the room to find him going from one grey skinned carcass to the other, trying to find Katherine. She almost felt sad for him as she watched him from the entrance way where her brother had left his torch. He really did care about her, it was evident from the concern on his face as he went from vampire to vampire, desperately trying to find his beloved. Sarah just wished it wasn't Katherine he had to love.

"Katherine? Katherine!" Damon called out as he looked around the tomb as his face screwed up. He was starting to lose it, he couldn't find her. She was supposed to be here, she had to be here. He had spent over a hundred years planning this, waiting so he could save her and bring her back, so they could reunite and finally start their lives together. But she wasn't here.

"She's not here," Damon whispered as he began to pace. "She's not here," he said again, his voice raising as Sarah stepped into the room.

"Damon," Sarah said softly as Damon looked up at her as fear took over his eyes.

"Did you… Did you kill-"

"I haven't seen her yet," Sarah confirmed for him as she glared around the corpses in the room.

"But… But where is she?" Damon asked as he ran his hands through his hair, turning around and around as he tried to work it out. It still didn't make any sense. If Sarah didn't kill her and no one had found her, then she couldn't have been in the tomb. But she had to be. She had to be otherwise she would've been out in the world this whole time and never once came to find him.

"She's not here," Damon repeated as Stefan walked in and up to Sarah's side, both watching as Damon paced before them.

"Damon," Stefan said sternly.

"She's not here," Damon said angrily as he glanced at his siblings briefly.

"What?" Stefan asked in confusion as Damon pulled out the blood bag he'd planned on giving to Katherine.

"She's not here!" Damon cried furiously as he threw the blood bag at the wall, watching as it splattered across the wall of the tomb.

"Damon, we need to get out of here," Stefan said stepping forwards.

"Why? What's going on?" Sarah asked with a frown as her brother looked back over his shoulder before returning to his mentally fragile brother.

"It doesn't make sense. They locked her inside," Damon said as he looked around the room, certain that if he looked one more time he'd spot her. But still there was no sign of her.

"If we don't leave now, we're not getting out," Stefan exclaimed trying to get through to his brother.

"What is going on, Stefan?" Sarah demanded.

"The magic seal is still up. Bonnie's lowered it but only for a short time," Stefan quickly explained over his shoulder as Sarah's eyes widened in fear before both turned to Damon who was muttering to himself again.

"How could she not be in here?"

"It's not worth spending all of eternity down here," Stefan argued.

"She's not worth it," Sarah added as she grabbed her brother's arm, but Damon violently shook her off as he shot them both a glare. "Fine. Hard way it is," Sarah said with a glare back to her brother before running forwards and snapping his neck. He began to drop but Sarah caught him before hosting him over her shoulders.

"Stefan!" Elena cried running to the room as the tomb began to shake, lose rock falling from the ceiling.

"We're coming," Stefan said as he motioned for his sister to go first. Sarah nodded, making sure she had a good grip on the unconscious Damon before jogging out after Elena with Stefan right behind her. They ran through the twisting tomb, trusting Elena to guide them out and she didn't fail. She ran out the stone door with Sarah behind her, dropping Damon on the floor as Stefan came out last. Elena ran to embrace Stefan as Sarah checked on Damon who was slowly coming too as the door to the tomb slammed shut.

It was over. And yet Katherine was still alive. But then again, her brothers were still alive too and free from the tomb. And maybe now Damon would finally see what Sarah had seen for over a century now. That Katherine didn't care about anyone but herself.

"Jeremy!" Elena exclaimed before she ran towards the stairs with Stefan behind her. Sarah glanced down at her brother, who was sat up against the wall now, thinking over what he'd just learnt. She then looked over to the witches who were helping each other up, both exhausted and tired after the spell. Her brothers owed them big time, and maybe she did a little too.

When Damon got up finally and began to walk up the stairs, Sarah followed. She walked out into the cold night air and then saw a fully dressed Scarlett who was knelt down next to Jeremy as Elena made a fuse with Stefan beside her. She thanked Scarlett for watching him and as she did Sarah caught Stefan's glance her way. With that one look, she knew that Stefan knew about Scarlett. She was just glad that Stefan was keeping it to himself for now.

Ignoring everyone else, Sarah made her way over to Scarlett, crouching down next to her as she placed her hand on Scarlett's shoulder. The teenager looked up at her with a soft smile and Sarah returned it with a proud one. She'd done good tonight, despite revealing her secret to Stefan but that had always been her choice. Sarah was just happy that Scarlett was finally starting to thrive in the supernatural world.

"Good job," Sarah said proudly.

"Thanks," Scarlett said sheepishly as she looked away, her brunette locks blocking her smile from the vampire. Sarah respectfully looked away, spotting Elena making her way over to a still Damon as Stefan watched. Sarah gave Scarlett a pat on the back before standing up and joining Stefan as Elena hugged Damon. He'd didn't hug back, he was too emotionally drained to do so. It wouldn't last. The anger and rage would take over soon enough, just like it had with Sarah when she first turned and realised everything Katherine had done. It had been a dark time for her and her brothers. She was just thankful Lexi had found them.

"I'm sorry," Sarah heard Elena whisper to Damon who just continued to stare ahead as Elena hugged him reassuringly.

At some point during the tidy up, Damon vanished. Sarah knew it was best to give him some time alone. She and Stefan made sure everyone got home okay. First the witches who they thanked and then Elena and Jeremy. Jeremy was still a little out of it which everyone decided was for the best. Scarlett hadn't said much either, just kept an eye on Stefan as she played with her necklace. By the time they got home, Damon had already returned. Sarah and Scarlett joined him in the study while Stefan took a call with Elena.

Sarah sat down on the couch next to her brother while Scarlett sat down on the floor's rug by Sarah's feet. Sarah stroked her brother's arm, trying to get his attention but he just continued to stare into the flames. She wasn't sure what he'd done while he was away, but she imagined it involved letting off some steam. But there was no denying he now knew the truth about Katherine. _At least something good had come out of this whole event_ , thought Sarah. She just hated how much her brother had to hurt in order to learn the lesson she and Stefan already knew. Thankfully, time heals all wounds.

After a while Stefan joined them, sitting down in the armchair next to the couch, Damon and Sarah where on. For a long time, the three Salvatore Siblings and Scarlett sat and watched the flames above the fire dance. At some point, Damon left but Sarah wasn't sure when. She was to entranced by the fire. She felt Scarlett climb up onto the couch, sitting in the spot Damon had been in and making herself comfortable as she lay down. They all needed to get some rest, but there was still once discussion to be had before they could go to sleep.

"What are you?" Stefan spoke up from the armchair as Sarah looked over to her brother and Scarlett lifted her head.

"Excuse me?" Sarah asked tiredly.

"What is, Scarlett?" Stefan specified as Scarlett sat up next to the vampire that had taken her in.

"A werewolf…we think," Scarlett answered, not too confidently. Stefan started at the two for a moment before slowly nodding his head.

"Ready to hear the rest?" Sarah asked with a tired smirk. Stefan nodded again and the two began to explain everything to Stefan. From when Scarlett first turned to how her necklace gives her her powers and all the way up to the events of that night. Fair to say, they were up a for a good hour or two before they finally got to sleep.


	17. A Few Good Men

_Review responses:_

 _Kelena-forever: Glade you liked the last chapter and I was also a fan of the graveyard scene. I had a lot of fun writing it as it was a pretty big moment for Sarah and the Salvatores as a whole. As for a first kiss, you're gonna hate me for saying it won't be any time soon and __definitely not in this story/season. Sorry :(_

 _Charmedbycharmed: Thank you, I'm glad I managed to keep it fresh and feel slightly new. Hopefully I did the same with this one, what do you think?_

Only reviewer: _Never be afraid to tell me what you think, 'cause it gives me a better idea of what you like and don't like. And I was super excited to bring in Scarlett this early on. And now that Sarah and Stefan know what she is it will effect future events for sure. But Damon still doesn't know, so just keep quiet about it, okay. ;)_

 _Jordanie-LC: I'm glad you're enjoying it so far! Couples for this are still a bit up in the air, at least for the __definite end of the over all thing, but I have a few ideas for who I'm going to pair Scarlett up with through the story. Hopefully you'll stick around to find out who._

 _So I managed to get an entire episode into this! So for the Scarlett fans, she isn't really in this one. I just didn't see much of a plot function for her so I benched her for this chapter. I've done this before, and I'll undoubtedly do it again, because after all, this is Sarah's story and her family's. But I had a good time with this one, particularly the start and finish, so let me know what you think of it and I'll catch you all later!_

 _And thanks also for all the favourites and follows you guys! And don't forget to leave a review, I respond to every one and that's the same for PMs. I just love hearing what you all have to say and it makes my day and encourages me to write more. Hope you all enjoy the latest update to the story and I'll see you later!_

* * *

 **Chapter 17: A Few Good Men**

* * *

Lightly tapping her knuckles against the wood, Sarah opened the door to her brother's room and stuck her head through. He hadn't moved since he went to bed last night. He was still just lying on his bed, hands behind his head as he looked up at the ceiling. Sarah smiled a sad smile at her oldest brother. Ignoring the reason for his sadness, Sarah wished she could help him, and that was what she had done.

"Rise and shine, big brother!" Sarah sang as she hopped into the room. Damon didn't budge, didn't even glance her way. He just continued to stare up at the ceiling from his bed. "Come on, Damon. Get up," Sarah groaned when her brother didn't move.

"Go away, Sarah," Damon said without emotion. Sarah half suspected he'd flicked his switch but from the hurt in his eyes she knew he hadn't. She thanked God he hadn't. She didn't need to deal with an emotionless brother at the moment, not when she was so close to her goal. She just needed to help Damon through this and then she could sit her brothers down and they could talk everything through.

"Fine," Sarah sighed, playing along. "But before I go. How about breakfast in bed." Sarah then clapped her hands and six young college girls came running into the room. Three jumped onto the bed with Damon while another ran for the stereo across the room, putting on a playlist while she and the other two danced. On the bed, the three girls spread out, two on either side of Damon, kissing his neck and licking his face while the other sat across his lap, twisting her hips this way and that as she tried to arouse the vampire.

"Dig in," Sarah said as she folded her arms with a grin at her eldest brother as he finally looked to her. He plastered on a devilish smile. Sarah could see it wasn't genuine, it didn't reach his sad icy eyes. But at least he was making the effort. Damon then grabbed onto the nearest sorority girl and pulled her neck towards his mouth. He dug in with his fangs and began to drink, delight flashing through his eyes as Sarah smiled.

"Oh, yeah. And I may have forced them each to have a couple of shots before coming here. So their blood alcohol level should be good enough for you to get drunk off. You're welcome," Sarah said proudly as Damon drank from the sorority girl. After a few seconds he pushed her away and then sat up. The girl on his other side was stretching her leg up in the air, smiling drunkenly at the vampire. Damon didn't bother to smile back and grabbed onto the girl's leg before digging her fangs into her calf.

"Mind if I join in?" Sarah asked, starting to feel a little hungry herself as she watched Damon feed.

"Suit yourself," Damon said nonchalantly as he waved towards the dancing girls before biting down on his sorority girl again.

"Your too kind," Sarah said sarcastically before vamp speeding over to one of the dancing girls. She whipped her hair from her face as she pulled the sorority girl's hair to one side before then baring her fangs. As her eyes then turned red, she dug them into her neck and began to drink. There was nothing quite like the taste of blood in the morning. Add in the alcohol and you basically had the all in one deal.

As she drank, Sarah glanced over to Damon who had moved onto the third girl on his bed. He pushed forwards now, shoving off the covers as he flipped the third girl onto her back, digging his fangs into her calf muscle. From behind the other two girls continued to kiss him and run their hands over him, as if he were their master. They should be, it's what Sarah compelled them to do. She was all for women's rights, but her brother needed women to cater to his every whim right now. It was the only thing that would distract him from Katherine and get him to socialize a bit.

"What do you say we move this party down stairs?" Sarah asked. Damon gave him a bloodied smile, which his sister returned before they both moved to the same girl. Damon grabbed her neck and tilting her head back before they both dug into her neck, both drinking for her at the same time. She liked feeding with Damon again. It had been awhile since she last did it, which was with Caroline when she was full of vervain. Sarah had been extra careful to make sure none of the girls had vervain in their systems. She didn't want a repeat of that unfortunate night.

After Damon quickly threw on some cloths, the brother, sister and sorority girls moved down to the study. Damon threw the lights off and turned up the music as he grabbed a bottle of scotch. He took a huge gulp before Sarah snatched the bottle at vamp speed and then ran across the room. Damon looked over to his sister who smirked as she drank. He grinned for a bit before turning back to the sorority girls. He grabbed one, pulling her over before getting a drink from her. From first glance it would look like he was having a good time, but Sarah knew him better than that.

They continued to party for an hour or so before the lights turned on. Everyone stopped dancing and turned to the archway to see Stefan standing by the light switch.

"No! Buzzkill Bob," Damon sighed as he pushed away the girl he was feeding on. Stefan then turned down the music and walked over to his sister, holding out his hand. Sarah made an overdramatic show of rolling her eyes and sighing before handing over the bottle of scotch. A mere centimetre or so of liquid left inside. So maybe she was a little drunk…so what. Her brother needed her and if he was going to get drunk then she was going to get drunk with him. At least he'd be a social drunk and not a lone one.

"Party pooper!" Sarah sang out slurily as Stefan led her over to the couch and Damon.

"Can we talk?" Stefan asked Damon, hand still on his sister's arm.

"Yeah," Damon said with a shrug.

"Without the Tri-Delts," Stefan added, motioning to the sorority girls.

"You're no fun!" Sarah exclaimed childishly as she slapped her brother's chest.

"Anything you have to say to me, you can say in front of them," Damon said as he collapsed onto the couch, snatching the bottle of scotch from Stefan as he fell. Sarah then pushed off Stefan, landing on the couch next to Damon before snatching the bottle from him and taking a sip.

"They're also really good at keeping secrets," Sarah added in a whisper before handing the bottle back over to Damon who gulped down the remains.

"We're going to need a new bottle," Damon said almost sadly before throwing the empty bottle towards the fireplace.

"Can you just send the sorority girls outside please," Stefan asked as he folded his arms.

"Fine," Sarah said, drawing out the word before looking to the sorority girls that were awaiting their commands. "Ladies, if you'd be kinda enough to wait outside until we call you back in," Sarah ordered. The six young girls groaned and mumbled complaints but did as told and left the study.

"Where's my booze?" Damon demanded from the couch as he looked up at Stefan.

"I think you've had enough. You and our sister," Stefan said as Sarah began to giggle uncontrollably, something she did when she was drunk. She'd just randomly start laughing and then just as randomly stop. When she got really drunk she had frequent mood swings that usually led to someone getting killed, at least when Lexi wasn't around. Then again it was usually because of Lexi that Sarah was that drunk in the first place, so…

"You're worried about me. That's nice. Don't be. There's no need. I'm fine," Damon said unconvincingly from the couch as his sister continued to giggle away from next to him. "Why wouldn't I be? I spent the last 145 years with one goal: get in that tomb. I succeeded. Granted, Katherine wasn't in there to be rescued, but why dwell?" Damon asked with a drunken sigh.

"Because she's a bitch!" Sarah yelled joyfully. "A bitchy, bitchy bitch, who only bitches and… What's the word I'm thinking off?" Sarah asked in her drunken state before Damon pushed his hand into his sister's face, knocking her over. Stefan put his own hand to his face, shaking his head as he did. He could barely handle one drunken sibling but two was going to take everything he had. Add on the all the new information about Elena's birth parents and he could already tell he was in for one hell of a day.

"You know," Damon continued. "It's so liberating not having a master plan, because I can do whatever the hell I want."

"That's kind of what I'm afraid of," Stefan admitted with a serious look to his siblings.

"Relax. I haven't killed anyone in…" Damon sighed again as he paused. "Too long."

"Those girls?" Stefan asked, pointing over to the hallway where the sorority girls were waiting to be called back in.

"Will wake up in their dorm rooms with headaches, thinking they blacked out. It's just business as usual here in the Salvatore house," Sarah said as she gestured to the building they were in with wide extended arms before bursting out into another giggling fit.

"So what was it you wanted to talk about, Brother?" Damon asked, ignoring his giggling sister.

"There was a woman you may have known a few years back names Isobel in North Carolina at Duke," Stefan explained as his older brother listened to him, staring at him with drunken eyes while Sarah continued to giggle away in the corner of the couch. At this point she was just background noise.

"You wanna discuss the women in my past right now? Seriously?" Damon said dryly as he glared up at his brother.

"You know, for a dead guy, you sure as hell have death wish," Sarah said with a giddy smile as she stared up at her brother before she started giggling once more.

"You killed her," Stefan continued, watching Damon as he responded.

"What's your point?" Damon asked.

"I just-just wanna know if you remember anything about her," Stefan said, trying to act casually. Luckily for him his brother and sister were too drunk to see through his bad acting.

"Oh, it's like a needle in a haystack, Stefan," Damon sighed as he twirled his hand around in the air and shook his head.

"Well, think hard. It's important," Stefan pressed. Damon then groaned before pushing himself up to his feet, standing in front of his brother before leaning over to whisper into his ear.

"Nothing is important, not anymore," Damon hissed before leaning back, slapping Stefan on the shoulder before grinning drunkenly at him. "Great chat," Damon said before turning to Sarah. "Call the girls back in."

"Ladies!" Sarah called as she giggled and the girls ran back into the room.

"Excuse us," Damon said with a smirk before turning the music back on and joining the dancing girls. Sarah climbed up to go and join them but Stefan grabbed her arm and pulled her over to the other side of the room.

"Stefy! I want to go dance and drink with the pretty girls," Sarah moaned childishly as she waved her free hand over to Damon and the sorority girls.

"I just want to talk to you," Stefan said as he let go of his sister's arm.

"Awe, Stefy! I love you too," Sarah said as he words began to slur again, running her hands down her brother's face as she spoke.

"Okay, maybe I'd be better off leaving you a voicemail," Stefan muttered to himself before continuing. "I need you to keep an eye on Damon. Just make sure he doesn't do anything…psychotic," Stefan said.

"You mean what I've already been doing," Sarah pointed out with a raised brow.

"Yes. But maybe try doing it without the alcohol," Stefan said sternly as Sarah began to pout.

"You're no fun," Sarah said moodily as she turned away, letting her rave hair fly into her brother's face before skipping over to join the sorority girls and Damon. After that Stefan left and Sarah managed to keep herself away from the booze. She drank plenty of water and stuck to blood bags from the fridge instead of feeding from the drunk sorority girls which Damon continued to do. It took a while but eventually she sobered up enough to realise that if Damon drank much more for the sorority girls then they'd have a real problem on their hands.

So Sarah grabbed her brother and told him it was time to move on. She shoved him towards his room, telling him to go and get dressed to head out before returning to the sorority girls. With the help of her compulsion, she made them all agree to go back to their dorm rooms and forget everything that happened. She made sure to feed them all some of her blood before sending them on their way. The last thing she needed was one of them passing out on the way home and being found with bite marks all over their bodies and with most of their blood missing. There were a lot of things she just simply couldn't be bothered putting up with today.

Thankfully Scarlett was out for the day, hanging out with Jeremy and keeping an eye on him in case Anna showed up again. She'd said she wouldn't come back since getting her mother back but Sarah wasn't confident that was the truth, and apparently neither was Scarlett, thus why she was spending time with Jeremy. Marking her territory sort of speak. It was also handy for keeping her out of depressed Damon's path. For both their safeties it was better that the two avoided each other for now. It would be too easy for Damon to start something and for Scarlett to try and bite his head off.

Once Damon sobered up enough to drive, according to him anyway, he and Sarah jumped in his car and made their way to the Grill, ready for round two. Somehow Damon managed to park his car without hitting the two on either side. After that he and Sarah made their way inside, heading straight for the bar.

"Bourbon," Damon said as he and Sarah sat down next to the other man who was sat at the bar.

"ID," the bartender said with a nod to Sarah.

"She's not drinking," Damon said with a smug grin to his sister. One of the painful things about being stuck as a seventeen-year-old for the rest of her life. Always being asked for ID, and yet there were others that would kill to look like her for all eternity.

"Just same water, please," Sarah said with a flirtatious smile. The bartender nodded and pulled out two glasses. He swiftly poured bourbon into one and water into the other before handing the two glasses over, specifically making sure Sarah got the water and the bourbon was as far away from her as possible.

"I've got my eye on you," the bartender said as he pointed to Sarah. He didn't want to end up like the last bartender that got arrested for selling to under aged teens.

"I bet you do," Sarah said teasingly as she winked to the bartender before he walked off, shaking his head.

"Behold the teacher," Damon said as Sarah turned to the man next to Damon, recognising him as her teacher, Alaric. She hadn't even noticed him. "Don't you have some papers to grade?" Damon asked as he sipped his bourbon.

"It's, uh, more fun with a buzz," Alaric mumbled.

"Setting a great example Mr. Saltzman," Sarah said as she sat her elbow down on the bar and leaned over to smile at her teacher. His eyes widened a little, shocked to see Sarah. Apparently he hadn't seen her either. As usual Damon was the centre of everyone's attention.

"Yeah, well…" Alaric said before sipping his drink, dropping the subject.

"Leave him alone, Sarah. Besides, everything in life is better with a buzz. Being Sober's depressing," Damon said miserably as he drank from his glass. Sarah rolled her eyes before gulping down her water. It was tasteless and disappointedly offered no buzz, something she now found herself craving.

"You don't strike me as somebody who gets depressed," Alaric pointed out with a glare to Damon.

"It's a rare sight that's for sure," Sarah said as she took another gulp from her water, trying hard to imagine it was something alcoholic.

"You say that like you know me," Damon said with a small grin to Alaric. Sarah could feel a bromance coming on and rolled her eyes as she looked away.

"Nope. Just a hunch," Alaric said before finishing off his drink. "You have a good afternoon," he concluded before standing up.

"Not likely," Damon grumbled.

"Sarah, I'll see you in class," Alaric said with a nod before Sarah nodded back. He then left and Sarah sighed as her brother drank more of his bourbon. She took a swing at her water and when she sat it back down the sheriff was stood next to Damon.

"Daytime drinking, huh?" the sheriff asked Damon with an amused look.

"It's all the rage," Damon said over dramatically as he took another sip.

"What about you?" the sheriff asked with a lift of the chin towards Sarah.

"Strictly water, Sheriff," Sarah said holding up her glass. She nodded in response before turning back to Damon. Apparently Sarah was nowhere near as interesting as her depressed brother today.

"Listen, I need a favour," the sheriff said to Damon.

"You ever been in love?" Damon asked as he started into his glass.

"Oh, brother," Sarah sighed as she rolled her eyes, wishing she had something stronger than water.

"Excuse me?" the sheriff asked with a frown.

"Have you ever been so bent on someone, just to have your heart ripped out by them?" Damon asked as he looked up at the sheriff.

"You forget I was married," the sheriff pointed out.

"Right. Gay husband," Damon said as he nodded his head. Sarah quickly sat up at the interesting story. Okay, maybe 'interesting' was the wrong word, more like, new. Either way it allowed Sarah's mind to wonder rather than focus on her depressed brother who was starting to get on her nerves.

"She'll have what I'm having," Damon said nodding to the bartender and then pointing to the sheriff. As the bartender poured the next bourbon, Damon patted the seat next to him and the sheriff sat down next to him.

"Sit down," Damon said to the sheriff who reluctantly took the seat. Though Sarah was sure her reluctance was more for the drink Damon had just ordered her rather than the offer to sit next to him.

"There's a fundraiser here tonight that the Founder's Council is throwing," the sheriff said as she sat down. "The town's most eligible bachelors get raffled off for dates, and, well, we're short a bachelor," the sheriff said painfully. Sarah raised her brow, curious to see where the sheriff was going with this.

"Is this what you do when there's no, um…" Damon looked over to his sister before turning back to the sheriff who had a nervous look on her face. "'V' word? Organize bachelor raffles?" Damon asked as the two laughed. Sarah just smirked and shook her head. It was hardly impossible to crack Damon's code. 'V word' obviously was vampire, but only the sheriff needed to buy it and she had.

"Oh, trust me. At this point, I miss the-" the sheriff paused as her eyes darted over to Sarah and then back to Damon. "-V word," the sheriff said before continuing. "Look, you're a hero to this town, Damon. I know most people don't know it, but you are, and you're single and a catch… Oh, come on, help me out. Carol Lockwood won't let me live it down if I come up empty-handed," the sheriff begged.

"Go on, Damon," Sarah said as she bumped his elbow with her own, grinning at him when he turned to her.

"You know," Damon sighed. "A room full of women clamouring to win a date with me. Sounds tasty," Damon said with a grin. Sarah smiled at his choice of words, not that the sheriff noticed as she laughed in relief.

"Thank you," she sighed as she stood up to leave.

"One thing," Damon said before she could leave. "Can you get information on someone for me? Alaric Salesman, the history teacher. There's just something a little off about him, and I just…I just wanna make sure that the high school did their homework on this guy," Damon said, putting on a convincingly concerned look.

"You got it," the sheriff said with a nod.

"Thanks," Damon said as the sheriff left, leaving him with his sister and drink.

"You don't trust Alaric?" Sarah asked with a frown as Damon finished off his drink before grabbing the one he'd ordered for the sheriff.

"Don't you worry your pretty little head about it," Damon said with a drunk grin before he went back to drinking. While Sarah did appreciate the compliment, she wasn't going to forget this. Damon had his eyes on the history teacher and now so did Sarah.

They stayed for a few more drinks until Sarah finally got sick of Damon's slurry words and dragged him back to his car. She shoved him into the passenger seat and then drove them home. From there she managed to get her brother sobered up, at least a little. It was rather fun actually. She just kept offering him water and every time he refused to take it she threw it in his face. Eventually Damon got the message and drank every glass of water Sarah put in front of him. By the time he had to get ready for the party he was at least able to speak.

"Stefan," Elena called as she walked into his room where Sarah was sat by his desk. She looked around the room before spotting Sarah and smiling at the youngest Salvatore. "Hey, Sarah. Have you seen Stefan?" Elena asked.

"Not recently, sorry," Sarah said as she let her head fall to one side.

"What are you doing up here then?" Elena asked as she motioned to the room they were in, Stefan's bedroom.

"Babysitting," Sarah said boredly.

"Who are you-?" Elena got out before Damon walked out of the bathroom and into the room.

"That would be me," Damon said, still a little drunk and shirtless as Elena and Sarah looked over to him.

"You look, um…" Elena said awkwardly.

"Dashing? Gorgeous? Irresistible?" Damon listed as he walked over to Elena.

"Smug? Self-centred? Annoying?" Sarah listed in response, letting her head switch shoulder with each word.

"Wrecked," Elena finally said. "You look wrecked."

"No reason why. Do you know that I am one of Mystic Falls' most eligible bachelors?" Damon said smugly as he stepped away and over towards Stefan's mirror, grabbing a shirt form the nightstand.

"How are you doing?" Elena asked as Damon pulled on the shirt.

"Never better," Damon answered. Elena looked over to Sarah who shook her head to confirm what Elena already thought. She nodded back before both turned to Damon who still had his back to them.

"What can I do for you? I'm a barrel of favours today. It's my newfound purpose, how can I help people?" Damon said as he stared at Elena through the mirror.

"I'm just meeting Stefan. We're going to the fundraiser," Elena explained as she folded her arms over her chest. She and Sarah then watched as Damon tried to button up his shirt only to fail. After a few more tries he sighed and turned around to Elena.

"Help a guy out, will you? Can't get this," he said motioning to his shirt. Elena looked over to Sarah who looked back at her pointedly.

"I've been babysitting him all day. Least you can do is button his shirt," Sarah said as she shrugged to Elena who rolled her eyes with a thin grin before walking over to assist Damon.

"So, I found out who my birth mother is," Elena said as she buttoned up Damon's shirt. Sarah looked up with interest, but Damon just groaned drunkenly.

"Who cares?" Damon asked angrily as Elena looked away with a hurt expression. "She left you," Damon said justifying as Elena looked back up to him. "She sucks."

"You can say that again," Sarah said as Elena looked over and smile. Her smile then grew when she saw who had entered the room. Sarah looked over and grinned when she saw Stefan smiling at Elena.

"Stefan. There you are," Elena said as she walked over to Stefan while Damon grabbed his jacket.

"Uhh. I need a bigger jacket," Damon groaned as he pathetically tried to pull on his jacket only to then give up and throw it aside. "Wow. You know, an occasional sorority girl might, um, you know, help fill you out a little bit," Damon said as he patted his belly.

"Nobody said you had to drain them dry," Sarah pointed out with a look to Damon who snorted at her. As if that was an option with the state he was in. He then exited and Sarah looked to Stefan who nodded after Damon. Sarah groaned as she let her head tilt backwards, knowing what he was asking of her.

"Seriously?" she groaned, her head flipping back up, so she could tiredly glare at her brother.

"For me," Stefan begged. Sarah let out another groan before standing up and marching out after Damon. The things she did for her family. She caught up with Damon and managed to drag him into his room, forcing him to get ready for the fundraiser. Once he finally finished getting dressed, Sarah threw him a more formal jacket and he put it on. With that done they made their way down the hallway way, down the stairs and towards the front door where they found Stefan waiting for them.

"Where'd our girlfriend go?" Damon asked as he and Sarah walked up to Stefan.

"She's on her way to the Grill," Stefan said, putting his hand to Damon's chest before he could continue. "I, uh, wanted to talk to you," Stefan said as he pulled a picture out of his pocket and unfolded it. Sarah looked over the photo curiously while Damon looked over it carelessly. "This is the woman, Isobel, for North Carolina. remember her now?"

"Who wants to know?" Damon asked as he glanced up at Stefan.

"I do," Stefan said sternly, while Sarah rolled her eyes. It really was too much for her to get just one day where her brothers didn't argue about something.

"Who else wants to know?" Damon asked knowingly. Sarah had to admit, she was curious herself, but would rather the two would just drop it and get along for that one magical day. She knew it was a pipe dream, but she kept hoping all the same.

"Sorry. Don't know her. Sarah, you?" Damon asked looking to his sister.

"Nope," Sarah said with pop.

"Well, that settles that," Damon said with a grin to Stefan before brushing past him. "Hey, are you coming? The Real Housewives of Mystic Falls await," Damon said back to his sibling before heading out the door.

"He's really making it hard to be there for him," Sarah sighed as she placed her hands on her hips.

"Just a little while longer, please, Sarah," Stefan pleaded. "Just until I get everything sorted out with Elena's mother."

"What's Elena's mother got to do with it?" Sarah asked with a frown.

"It's a whole thing," Stefan said exhaustedly.

"Better start talking then," Sarah said smugly as she waited to hear the story, moving her hands from her hips and folding them expectantly.

"You know Elena's adopted." Sarah nodded. "Turns out, she's called Isobel…which is also the same name of Alaric's wife." Instantly Sarah got the meaning behind his words and her eyes widened in shock.

"No way!" Sarah exclaimed.

"It's just a theory," Stefan quickly pressed, not wanting Sarah to jump the gun.

"And you think Damon killed her?" Stefan's brow rose, impressed that his sister had worked it all out so quickly. "Have you told Elena?"

"No. I want to be certain. So, please, don't tell her," Stefan begged. Sarah smiled softly at her brother and nodded respectively. Stefan smiled at her before they heard a car horn outside. "Our ride," Sarah said with a smirk to Stefan before they made their way outside. Then after a relaxing, fight free ride, much to Sarah's joy, they Salvatores arrived at the Grill.

They made their way inside, though Stefan lingered outside for some reason. Sarah didn't bother to ask, she was to keep an eye on Damon and as much as she'd like to, she couldn't watch both her brothers at once. So she followed Damon into Grill, already the place was crowded with woman, eager to win a date with one of the five bachelors. Damon quickly grabbed himself a drink from the bar and made his way over to Miss Lockwood while Sarah just shook her head. Just because she had to keep an eye on her didn't mean she had to listen to his drunk talk.

Scanning the room for something to amuse herself with, Sarah spotted Elena, Caroline and Matt hanging out by a table selling raffle tickets. She was about to head over when she then spotted Jenna sitting alone at a table, head in her hands.

"Something wrong?" Sarah asked, pulling out the chair next to Jenna as she sat down. It had been awhile since she hung out with Jenna and she seemed pretty nice. The last time she'd really connected with her hand been back at the Founders Party and she'd been meaning to get to know her a little better since getting sucked into Elena's life.

"Oh! Hey, Sarah," Jenna said as she sat up, plastering on a fake smile.

"That bad huh?" Sarah asked with a grimace, seeing right through Jenna's smile. Jenna sighed heavily as she let her face, and head, drop.

"You remember that whole thing with Elena. How she's… adopted," Jenna said in a low voice at the end. Sarah nodded as she leaned in. "Well, turns out her birth mother is actually Alaric's dead wife," Jenna explained as Sarah's eyes widened. A good performance of her acting abilities as she forced surprise upon her face. "Which is huge…but there's the other thing," Jenna said nervously as she looked down. Sarah frowned, what could be worse than that?

"What?" Sarah asked slowly with a curious look to the light brown haired woman.

"It's not really to do with Elena, it's more…personal," Jenna said as she looked up at Sarah, biting her lower up as if she was guilty for thinking selfishly.

"It's alright, Jenna. We're friends, you can be selfish around me," Sarah explained as she folded her arms down on the table, grinning at Jenna who smiled back, grateful that she'd been allowed to speak about herself. She loved being Elena's and Jeremy's guardian but being a parent was hard and she hated herself for thinking selfishly at times, almost like she wasn't allowed to.

"Well…when I told Alaric about Elena's mother…it was right after I kissed him…and it was our first," Jenna said sheepishly as she grimaced at her own story.

"Oh…" Sarah said slowly as she looked away from Jenna's hazel eyes. "Well…" Sarah looked back up. "That's…certainly…awkward."

"You're telling me," Jenna sighed, handing running through her hair.

"I'm sure he understands," Sarah said sympathetically.

"He did…then I made the suggestion of him telling Elena about his wife," Jenna said as she cringed again.

"Oh, Jenna," Sarah groaned as she screwed up her face, trying not to think of how awkward it might have been.

"I know, I know! I'm such an idiot," Jenna groaned as she curled her fingers in and shook her hands in frustration.

"No, no…yeah," Sarah agreed before the two looked to each other and laughed.

"Oh, god," Jenna said as she ran her hands down her face. "What's wrong with me?"

"Nothing. But you're dealing with a lot. You've got Elena and Jeremy to worry about and work, throw boyfriend troubles in there and I'm amazed your still breathing," Sarah said as Jenna smiled back at her before chuckling.

"Thanks."

"It's the truth. You're a pretty awesome person, Jenna," Sarah said honestly with a smile. Her eyes then darted over to Damon who was reading over a file that the Sheriff had handed him. Sarah could have slapped herself for missing what they were saying, she just hoped it wasn't important. Her eyes narrowed on Damon as she watched him smirk away, a calculating look in his eye. That was never good.

"Sarah. Sarah?" Jenna called until Sarah turned back to the young woman. "You alright there?"

"Yeah, just trying to keep an eye on my brother," Sarah said, nodding over to Damon. Jenna glanced over her shoulder before turning back to Sarah with a frown.

"What's up with him?"

"Girlfriend troubles. She sort of…stood him up," Sarah said with a grin.

"You seem pretty happen about that," Jenna said with a raised brown.

"She wasn't good for him. He can do better," Sarah said pointedly as Jenna smirked.

"Thought he was meant to be the one looking after you?" Jenna asked with a teasing grin.

"By this point me and Stefan are pretty self-functioning," Sarah said with a shrug.

"Oh, and how is Scarlett doing? I haven't seen her in a while," Jenna asked.

"She's out with Jeremy today. Those two are definitely good for each other," Sarah said as Jenna nodded in agreement. "But she's doing good. Already feels like one of the family."

"If I can have your attention please," Mrs Lockwood said as she stood up to the microphone. "It's time to begin the raffle."

"Got your ticket?" Sarah asked as Jenna held up her ticket.

"And here are tonight's bachelors," Mrs Lockwood said as she raised her arm and the five men stepped up to join her. One being Sarah's brother and another Alaric. Sarah frowned at the latter before turning to Jenna.

"Mr. Saltzman's a bachelor?"

"Well, we're not actually dating, so he is technically a bachelor," Jenna explained though she wasn't able to show the annoyance in her eye.

"You never know, you might win a date with him," Sarah said with a smirk as Jenna laughed.

Elena then joined them and for the next few minutes the three women watched as Mrs Lockwood showed of the first few bachelors before moving onto Alaric who was bachelor number four.

"Alaric Saltzman," Mrs Lookwood introduced Alaric who looked very uncomfortable. Jenna smiled nervously up at Alaric and Sarah and Elena nudged her while grinning away at each other before laughing. "Wow. That's quite a mouthful. What do you do, Alaric?"

"I'm a teacher at Mystic Falls High," Alaric answered into the microphone.

"Oh, beauty and brains, ladies. This one's a keeper. What do you teach?"

"History," Alaric said, deliberately keeping his answers short. He wasn't in much of a mood for all this.

"History. Oh, well, give us a fun fact about Mystic Falls, something crazy," Mrs Lockwood said expectantly as she held the microphone over to Alaric. Only he didn't say anything, only look over to Damon who was stood next to him. Sarah could see the suspicious and anger in Alaric's eyes while Damon just smiled smugly. He had no idea.

"Uh, well…" Alaric mumbled but before he could come up with an answer Mrs Lockwood pulled the microphone away from him.

"He's probably saving the best stories for his date." She then moved onto Damon. "And last, but not least, Damon Salvatore. We don't have much on you."

"Hey, there's Stefan," Elena said, nudging Sarah before waving over to Stefan who was stood in the middle of a crowd. He waved back and Sarah smiled at him before both she and Elena turn back to Damon.

"Well, I'm tough to fit on a card," Damon said mysteriously.

"Do you have any hobbies, like to travel?"

"Oh, yeah. L.A., New York. Couple of years ago, I was in North Carolina. Near the Duke campus,"

"Oh, no," Sarah said beneath her breath, realizing what Damon was doing. She knew he was hurting and looking to do the same to someone else. Someone like Alaric. But she could see what he couldn't, that by hurting Alaric Elena was going to get caught in the blast.

"Actually. I think-I think Alaric went to school there. Didn't you, Ric?" Damon asked as he turned to the man who glared back at him. "Yeah, 'cause I-I know your wife did." Sarah turned to Elena, watching as her face fell. She had to stop Damon for his own sake, he was about to do something so incredibly stupid and about to hurt Elena who had been a good influence on him.

"I had a drink with her once," Damon continued as Sarah pushed out of her seat, making her way over to her older brother. She tried to subtly grab his attention but he was too busy staring at Alaric, watching his reaction as he spoke about his wife and Elena's mother. "She was-she was a great girl. I ever tell you that?"

"Damon!" Sarah hissed from the edge of the crowd. If he did hear her though he ignored her.

"Cause she was…"

"Damon, don't!" Sarah almost yelled but managed to keep her voice low enough not to draw attention.

"Delicious. Mmm!" Damon said in delight as he remembered the taste of her blood. Sarah closed her eyes and groaned internally. Why was her brother such an idiot? She opened her eyes and looked over to see Elena storming out. She could hardly blame her. Add this to what she was already going through and it was enough to make anyone cry.

She caught Stefan's eyes and he motioned for her to stay while he went after Elena. She nodded before stepping away from the crowd and grabbing Damon by the arm, pulling him aside as Mrs Lockwood shot her a glare. Sarah could care less about the stupid auction and what Mrs Lockwood thought about her taking Damon from the spotlight, but this was family business.

"Why'd you do that?" Sarah demand as she glared at her brother. He was careless, grinning back at her like it was all just one big joke.

"Enjoy the show?" Damon asked smugly as Sarah sighed.

"You have no idea what you've just done," Sarah muttered, running her hand across her forehead.

"Look, I don't need you to baby sit me. And I don't know why you've suddenly against me messing around with your teacher's head, but I do what I want, when I want," Damon said as he leaned in towards his sister with a dark serious look. Sarah matched his glare before he finally brushed past her, staggering towards the door. She turned to follow and was about to catch up to him when Elena walked back in, bumping into him.

"Whoa. Easy there. Buy a ticket like everyone else," Damon teased.

"Damon!" Sarah warned but it was already too late.

"Did you enjoy that?" Rubbing it in to Alaric Saltzman?" Elena asked with tears in her eyes.

"What?" Damon asked bewilderedly.

"Just as I was starting to think that there was something redeemable about you," Elena spat as Stefan walked in behind her.

"Elena," Stefan said almost pleading as Elena turned to him. Damon looked back and forth between the couple and Sarah prayed that what happened next wouldn't destroy her brother. She knew Elena wasn't the same as Katherine but she still held the same power as her over her brothers. With the right words she could make Damon want to kill himself and she just hoped she wouldn't push him to that stage.

"Am I missing something here?" Damon asked as he looked around.

"Did I forget to mention earlier when we were talking about my birth mother? The one that gave me up? Her name was Isobel," Elena said as she watched Damon's face drop. Sarah knew in that moment he felt guilty and she knew what was coming next was going to hurt him, especially considering the state he was in. "Go ahead. Reminisce about how you killed her," Elena said spitefully before brushing past Damon, deliberately bumping into his shoulder as she did.

"Elena," Sarah said but the girl didn't give her a second glance. She did however see the tears fall from Elena's eyes as she made her way towards the door. Sarah turned back to find her brothers exchanging glances before Stefan marched off after Elena and Damon screwed up his face in self-hatred. "You gonna be alright?" Sarah asked as she stepped over to her brother.

"I'm going home," Damon said bluntly as he turned to walk out the other door with Sarah behind him. She couldn't leave him alone right now. Let Stefan handle his girlfriend and she'd handle their brother. He was hurting and in a dangerous place right now, she needed to make sure he didn't do anything reckless and stupid. She was just about to head out the door when someone grabbed her wrist form behind. She twirled to find Jenna staring at her with worried eyes.

"Is Elena okay?" Jenna asked instantly, not holding back.

"Eh…Em…" Sarah stammered as she grimaced. She really had to go after Damon. Leaving him alone in Mystic Falls right now was too dangerous. He could easily go off the deep end and kill someone or worse turn them. At least back at the house he was contained and could let out his anger safely.

"Sarah. I need to know," Jenna said seriously, not showing any sign of letting go.

"She's…She's…" Sarah tried to say before she heard Mrs Lockwood reading out the winning number for Alaric's date.

"37649," Mrs Lockwood read out.

"Is that your number?" Sarah asked.

"What? I don't care about some stupid date right now! What's going on with Elena?" Jenna demanded. Sarah glanced over seeing one woman squealing excitedly but Mrs Lockwood hadn't noticed her yet. She must have the winning number. She hated to do this to Jenna, but she needed to distract her, and she need to get back to Damon. At least this why Jenna might have a chance to fix things with Alaric.

"Just look at your ticket," Sarah ordered. She wished she could just compel her but she knew for a fact the woman was on vervain, just like all of Elena's friends and family. It was to protect them, but it also made her life a lot harder when it came to things like this. Jenna sighed dramatically before reaching into her pocket to find her ticket. As she did she turned away from Sarah.

Seeing her window, Sarah ran off in a blur, snatching the ticket from the excited lady before handing her off another ticket that had already been thrown away. With that she returned to Jenna, thankful that the place had been so packed that no one noticed. Jenna then turned back, pulling out her ticket and sighing. She hadn't won, at least not yet.

"Let me see," Sarah said snatching the ticket and subtly switching it with the winning one.

"Sarah!" Jenna exclaimed at the rude girl.

"Oh, look! You won!" Sarah said in fake excite meant as she pushed the ticket back into Jenna's hand. She was running out of time. Damon had more than likely already driven off by now and if he wasn't going to the house then she was going to have a hard time finding him. Her only hope was that he'd gone home to drink himself to sleep. Depressed enough to drink but not enough to kill.

"No I didn't," Jenna said as she unfolded the scrunched up ticket.

"It's her! She's here! She won!" Sarah called out before gently pushing Jenna forward slightly so that everyone could see her.

"Congratulations!" Mrs Lockwood called out. Jenna blushed before turning to continue her discussion with Sarah, but she was already gone out the back door after her brother. She hated abandoning Jenna, she was really nice and friendly, but her family came first. Someone needed to protect her brother from himself and since Stefan wasn't going to do it, it fell to her.

By the time Sarah got back to the house Damon had already had another bourbon. He was sat on the couch in the study, staring at his empty glass as Sarah stood in front of him, folding her arms.

"You happy?" Sarah asked sarcastically.

"I'm not in the mood, Sarah," Damon said as he lifted his gaze to meet Sarah's eyes. His icy gaze clashing with her our furious green.

"Felling like an idiot?" Sarah asked as she tilted her head to the side, the condescending tone abundantly clear.

"Shut it, Sarah," Damon snapped as he stood up, squaring up to her. Sarah just stared back at him, unwaveringly. She couldn't afford to let him walk all over her, she had to keep him under control until these feelings passed for him. Sighing loudly, Damon brushed past Sarah making his way over to the table where his drinks were laid out. Sarah was about to speak again but stopped when she heard footsteps from behind. She groaned internally as she turned to find Alaric behind her.

"Are you really this stupid?" Damon asked turning around to face Alaric who was staring him down with Sarah in his peripheral.

"Alaric. Just go," Sarah said sternly.

"No," Alaric said stubbornly, not taking his eyes of Damon. The idiot was going to get himself killed. Damon gave him one last chance to back off, gulping down the little bourbon he'd already poured. When he finished, Alaric was still standing there, waiting for him. Sarah might have been proud of Damon for considering to let Alaric go, if Alaric hadn't been stupid enough to stay and fight.

"Guess so," Damon said as he sat the empty glass down behind him.

"Damon, just let me handle this, okay?" Sarah said, holding her hand up to stop Damon from advancing on Alaric.

"I gave him a chance," Damon growled as he ran around Sarah at vamp speed and grabbed Alaric. Lifting up the floor, Sarah then watched as Damon threw him across the room towards the fireplace. He hit the ground, grabbing his stake before getting back up in a crouched position. Before Damon could run at him again, Sarah vamp speeded in front of Alaric, looking down at him casually and unthreatened.

"Put the stake down," Sarah ordered.

"Where's Isobel? What have you done to my wife?" Alaric demanded, moving the stake around in his hand to make sure the two vampires knew he'd use it. They were hardly threatened. They had over a hundred years on him and at most he was a novice hunter. It was probably just dumb luck he was still alive at this point.

"You want me to tell you I killed her? Would that make you happy?" Damon asked as he walked over, but when he tried to pass Sarah she held out her arm, forbidding him from passing. When he looked to her she shot him a silencing glare, warning him not to make things worse. If she was lucky she could end this now and no one had to die.

"I saw you feeding on her," Alaric said accusingly.

"Yeah, I did, and I wasn't lying. She was delicious," Damon said mockingly. Sarah would have scolded him had Alaric not ran at him. She stepped between them and pushed Alaric back sending him flying backwards into the nearby armchair.

"Stay down!" Sarah shouted as Alaric looked up at her from the ground. "It's for your own good."

"I just want to know what happened," Alaric said as he grabbed his stake once more. Sarah rolled her eyes, why was it everyone she came into contact with was so stubbornly stupid?

"I think you know what happened," Damon said with a pointed look.

"Damon, stop it," Sarah said as she wheeled on her brother, pushing him back. "He's hurting, just like you. Leave him alone. Just get out and I'll take care of this." Damon stared at her, contemplating for a moment before turning his gaze back to Alaric who was still on the floor.

"I turned her," Damon admitted as Sarah closed her eyes.

"Why?" Alaric asked from the ground as Damon stepped around Sarah.

"She came to me. All pathetic, looking for vampires. There was something about her, something I liked. There was something special," Damon said as he thought back.

"You turned her because you liked her?" Alaric exclaimed.

"No, I slept with her because I liked her," Damon said smugly.

"Oh my God!" Sarah exclaimed as she threw her hands up in the air. "What is wrong with you. Just stop!" In that moment Alaric rushed Damon again, hoping to catch him off guard by the fact he was looking at Sarah, and she at him. Definitely a novice vampire hunter. Before Sarah could intervene Damon turned, grabbing Alaric's stake wielding arm and twisting it so that Alaric ended up stabbing himself in the chest.

"Damon!" Sarah yelled as Alaric gasped in pain, only being held up by Damon who held the stake in place. Damon ignored his sister, like always, and pulled the stake from Alaric's chest, watching him wheeze painfully as he did.

"Sounds like I got a lung. What you think, Sarah?" Damon asked as he looked over to his sister who scowled at him.

"You didn't need to kill him!" Sarah snapped.

"Oh, get off your high horse," Damon said with a roll of the eyes as he shoved Alaric to the ground. Sarah lifted up her wrist, pulling back her jacket's sleeve as she bit into her wrist. "Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!" Damon said pushing Sarah back before she could give her blood to Alaric. "He made his bed, let him sleep in it." He waited until Sarah's wrist healed itself and then sat down on the couch to watch Alaric die.

Sarah scowled at him before looking to Alaric. It was too late now, she could see that. If she gave him her blood now he'd turn, and she didn't imagine he wanted that. She just wished it had gone different. She liked Alaric, but she liked Jenna more, and now she was going to lose the man she was falling for. She should have stopped this, should have kept her brother under control. Now all she could do was stand over Alaric as she watched him trying to breath until finally he passed.

"What happened?" Stefan asked walking into the room as Sarah looked over her shoulder at him, her emotionless mask in place. Seeing Alaric, Stefan ran over, kneeling down next to him while Sarah stood over the both of them. "What did you do?" Stefan asked, looking to Damon who was sat comfortably on the couch.

"Do what? He attacked me. Right, Sarah?" Damon said gesturing to his sister. Stefan looked up at her and she sighed.

"It's true," Sarah admitted. She then turned to Damon with her scowl back in place. "But you provoked him."

"All I did was tell him the truth. His wife didn't want him anymore. It's not my fault he couldn't handle it," Damon said defensively.

"Like you've been handling Katherine?" Stefan counted as he stood up alongside Sarah, both glaring back at Damon.

"I'm handling it fine. Although, you know what? Isobel came to me. She found me. And if she's related to Elena, that means she's related to Katherine. Maybe Katherine sent her to me." Sarah could believe what her brother was saying. He was completely insane, he'd lost it! How could he still be obsessing over her? After all this. After finding out she wasn't in the tomb and had been walking around without contacting any of them, how could he still be head over heels in love with her.

"Stop it. You don't have to keep looking," Stefan exclaimed.

"Can't be a coincidence Isobel sought me out. Uh-uh. Can't," Damon said confidently.

"Your right, it's not a coincidence, you know what it is? Another one of her twisted games!" Sarah exclaimed as she stepped towards her brother. "She's still playing you. She's still manipulating you after all this time. Why can't you just see that?" Sarah shouted at Damon who just glared back at her.

"You just don't understand," Damon sighed as he looked past Sarah to Stefan. Sarah could have killed him in that moment. He still put the monster who'd ruined their lives above his own sister, above his family. She'd been looking after him the whole day and what did she get in return, nothing. How would she ever live up to the great Katherine Pierce?

"I'm assuming you'll take care of this," Damon said pointing to Alaric.

"Get out," Sarah said as she stared at her brother on the couch.

"Excuse me?" Damon asked looking back up to his sister.

"Get out. Get out! Get out!" Sarah screamed as she grabbed Damon, pulled him off the couch and shoved him towards the archway.

"Jeez! Calm down," Damon groaned as he walked out. Sarah continued to glare at the archway until finally she felt her anger lower enough so that she could turn back to Stefan.

"I'm sorry," Sarah said sadly as she lowered her gaze.

"It's not your fault," Stefan said as she pulled his little sister into a hug. Looking over her brother's shoulder she stared down mournfully at the dead body in the study. She felt so bad, but mostly for Jenna. She would have to look Jenna in the eye sooner or later and act like she knew nothing about his disappearance. Life had been so cruel to her and her entire family as of late.

Then suddenly, she saw Agaric's finger twitched.

Sarah frowned, staring at his hand until it twitched again. "Stefan," Sarah said as she pulled away from his embrace. He looked at her before following her gaze to Alaric's dead body. Then suddenly Alaric gasped, eyes going wide as life re-entered his body and he sat up, panting heavily.

"What happened? What's going on?" Alaric asked as he looked around the room.

"How…?" Sarah asked as both she and Stefan stared at Alaric.

"Did you turn him?" Stefan asked urgently.

"No. And Damon didn't give him any blood either," Sarah explained as both the Salvatore siblings stared confusingly at Alaric who stared back at them.

"But that's… No, no, no somebody must have slipped him vampire blood," Stefan said as Alaric flexed his finger. It was then Sarah's eyes locked on his ring. The ring he'd been wearing the first day she saw him, the ring he was always wearing.

"What's that ring?" Sarah demanded as she looked right at it. Both Alaric and Stefan focused their attention on the ring as well before Alaric looked up at the two vampires.

"Isobel," Alaric said slowly. "This ring protected me," he said holding up the hand with the ring on it.

"That's impossible," Stefan said as both he and Sarah stared at the ring.

"I know," Alaric replied as he looked to Stefan and Sarah, before the brother and sister shared one final confused and shocked look, over the return of Alaric.


	18. There Goes The Neighbourhood

_Review responses:_

 _Kelena-forever: Thank you, and sorry for making you wait for so long. For both this chapter and the big moment._

 _Only reviewer: It wasn't her best that's for sure, but she puts up with him because she obviously loves him. Glad I managed to get across how much of a pain he was! Lol._

 _siddharth1998m:_ _Will do and thanks for the review._

 _aguilarpearl777:_ _I don't know...I kinda of like the cat idea...it's very tempting ;)_

 _Scarlett's back! But once again I'm cutting the episode in two. I'm planning to get the second part up early next week though, so hopefully you guys won't have to wait too long. But I'm really looking forwards to the stuff coming up in this episode, some good stuff for Scarlett and a couple of good bits for Sarah. But I had the most fun with Scarlett in this one and you'll soon see why!_

 _And thanks also for all the favourites and follows you guys! And don't forget to leave a review, I respond to every one and that's the same for PMs. I just love hearing what you all have to say and it makes my day and encourages me to write more. Hope you all enjoy the latest update to the story and I'll see you later!_

* * *

 **Chapter 18: There Goes The Neighbourhood**

* * *

Scarlett couldn't believe she'd overslept. She was already walking on thin ice at school as it was. She'd missed out on so much work that she was now failing several of her classes. She hadn't been doing great in the first place but the supernatural stuff had quickly started to take a toll on the rest of her life. She really would have to talk to Sarah about helping her out with that. Maybe she could compel the teachers to give her a little leeway. And if that failed she could try getting and Damon's good side and convince him to do. He seemed to love any excuse to use compulsion.

Either way that wasn't going to help her right now. She was late, and needed to get going. Grabbing her bag from beside the desk Sarah had provided her with, Scarlett ran out her room as she swung the bag over her shoulder. With her supernatural speed she might just be able to make it there by the end of first period. All she was missing was art, and she wasn't a big fan, but music was after that and it was the only subject she was doing any good at. So she was trying to keep her attendance up. Passing one class was better than passing nothing.

Running down the stairs, Scarlett made her way towards the front door only to stop when she spotted something move from inside the living room. She paused and looked over her shoulder to see Anna standing in the living room, Scarlett's guitar in her hands.

"Nice instrument," Anna said looking over the guitar that Scarlett had had for few years now. It was one of the few things, bar her cloths, that Scarlett had bothered to bring to the Salvatore house after she moved in. Most of her other belongs were just things she had no particularly feelings for. But that guitar was special. It had been an outlet for her during her time with her uncle. It had meaning and purpose, and was one of the few metrical objects she owned that she'd fight for.

"What do you want?" Scarlett snarled, dropping her bag and letting her eyes flash gold. A not so subtle warning towards the vampire.

"Is that anyway to talk to a guest?" Anna asked teasingly, a smug smile playing at her lips.

"Last time I ran into you, you locked me up in a motel room and threatened to kill me. So this is how _I'm_ going to treat _you_ ," Scarlett growled as her canines started to form in her mouth and her nails sharpened into claws.

"Relax, I'm not here for you. I'm here for-" Scarlett didn't give him a chance to finish. She lunged at the vampire, tackling her down to the ground before Anna could dodge her. They crashed into the coffee table, smashing it as glass scattered all around them. The guitar was sent flying over to the couch, landing with a soft _thump_ that vanished beneath Scarlett's threatening growl and Anna's responding hiss as her vampire features came out. No longer playing the nice girl, Anna then threw Scarlett from her sending her towards the wall where she knocked a picture off its hook. The frame broke in two as Scarlett landed on all fours.

She let out another growl and looked up to Anna who was back on her feet. Springing up, Scarlett ran forwards swinging her claws at Anna who stepped back to avoid each swing until she tripped over a broke piece of the coffee table and landed on her back. Scarlett saw her chance and dropped onto Anna, pinning her to the ground. Opening her mouth, Scarlett let out another growl before her head dove down, ready to bite into Anna's shoulder.

But before she could someone grabbed her hair from behind and yanked hard. Yelping in pain, Scarlett was pulled of off Anna and thrown down to the floor. Before she could get back up a heeled shoe pressed down on her chest, knocking the air from her lungs.

Looking up she saw a woman that looked like an older version off Anna, only more formally dressed with her long black hair tied back. Before Scarlett could stop her, she reached down, snatching Scarlett's necklace and ripping it from her. Instantly Scarlett felt her supernatural strength weaken and her eyes and face return to normal. She didn't stand a chance against the two vampires now.

"I see what you mean, Annabelle," her mother said as she stared down at Scarlett before turning her attention to the necklace she still held in her hand. "How interesting," she murmured.

"And who the hell is this?" Scarlett asked, directing her question over to Anna.

"I'm Pearl, Annabelle's mother," she said before applying more pressure to her heel and making Scarlett hiss in pain. "And you'd do well to treat me with some respect."

"Listen lady. You'll want to get out of here and give me back my necklace, otherwise the people that live here are going to be very pissed with you," Scarlett snarled.

"You mean the Salvatores?" Pearl asked with a knowing smile. Scarlett should have known that this had to do with the vampires she lived with. It pretty much always did. "You wouldn't happen to know where they are do you?"

"No," Scarlett answered firmly. Pearl continued to smile.

"Very well, you'll wait here with us then." Pearl removed her heel and stepped back as she turned to Anna. "Annabelle, make your friend here comfortable."

"Of course," Anna said with a satisfied smirk as she grabbed Scarlett and pulled her up before shoving her onto the couch next to her guitar. "Don't do anything stupid," Anna warned, though from the look in her eye, she was practically begging Scarlett to do so. Any excuse to push her around a little.

"You mean like this," Scarlett snarled before grabbing her guitar's neck and swinging it's body at Anna. It may have been the only thing she owned, other than her mother's necklace, that she cared about, but survival trumped nostalgia. However, halfway through the swing her arm was stopped and the guitar froze in the air. Scarlett's eyes moved over to Pearl who was holding her hands, a drop of angry on her otherwise stone cold face.

"I'll take that," Anna said as she pulled the guitar from Scarlett's hands. Scarlett tried to fight back but Pearl didn't give her much of a chance before pushing her back down onto the couch.

"You know, this really is a nice guitar," Anna said with a grin as she looked back over to Scarlett. "It be a shame if someone broke it." Scarlett's eyes widened as Anna smashed the guitar on the floor. Quickly, Scarlett's face changed from hurt to anger as she locked her glare onto Anna. She was going to pay for that and not just with money. Music was her only passion and Anna had destroyed her instrument. She wasn't about to let that slide. But for now she could do little more than wait for Sarah or her brothers to return. So she leaned back on the couch, folding her arms, as she glared daggers into Anna's eyes. Not that she seemed to mind.

* * *

"Will you please stop following me," Damon groaned as he looked back over to Sarah who was still right behind him. She had been all morning. She was missing school to keep an eye on him. It wasn't like she couldn't compel the teachers to be alright with it later. Damon was more important than playing school girl with Stefan, she had to make sure he didn't do something ridiculous like he did yesterday with Alaric.

"Nah," Sarah said playfully as she walked ahead to Damon's side. They were walking down the driveway to their home after heading out for some breakfast. They managed to grab some really tasty boys on their way to school. It had been good to get him out feeding but he had otherwise spent the whole morning trying to ditch her. Unfortunately for him, she was an excellent tracker and he was sloppy. At some point or other he gave up and decided to head home. Presumably because the bar at the Grill hadn't opened yet and he wanted a drink. He still wasn't over Katherine, much as it irritated Sarah. And if that night with Alaric proved anything it was that he was still looking for hope that Katherine was coming back for him.

So far today he hadn't made any move to go after Katherine but Sarah suspected that was because she'd been by his side all day. And that was were she was planning on staying, at least until he cut back on his day time drinking.

Opening up the door, Sarah gestured for Damon to step inside. He shot her a plastered smile before brushing past her into the house. Sarah smirked as she followed only to stop beside him when she saw what was going on in the living room. On the left couch was Pearl, with a thin smile and on the right was Anna, with Scarlett.

"Hello, Damon, Sarah," Pearl greeted them both from her laid back position. Sarah didn't bother looking at her, she was more focused on Anna who was right next to Scarlett…who didn't have her necklace. That meant she was powerless to fight back but even if she had it Damon would see and with the state he was in there'd be no telling how he'd react to her little secret.

"Ever hear of knocking?" Damon asked sarcastically as he glared at the woman.

"I'd hold that tongue of yours, Damon," Anna said as her fingers quickly wrapped around Scarlett's neck, fingers digging in as Scarlett groaned. "Otherwise I'll rip out hers."

"Leave her alone," Sarah ordered, taking a single step forward as not to provoke the intruders. It didn't do anything to deter Anna who smiled away, keeping her hand exactly where it was with no intention of loosening her hold. She wasn't stupid, she knew she and her mother held on the power in this situation. All Sarah had was empty threats.

"We're not her to fight," Pearl said calmly as she stood up.

"Makes it easier for us then," Damon said with a look to Sarah.

"Damon, no!" Sarah cried but he had already moved by the time she got out her words. He vamp speeded over to Pearl grabbing her neck in an attempt to choke her, only it didn't even seem to faze her. Sarah watched with wide eyes as Pearl lifted up her hand and grabbed onto Damon's wrist. With one twist Damon grunted in pain as he let go. Pearl's face was completely still as she then threw him down into the couch which skidded backwards as he landed on it.

"Have a seat, Damon," Pearl said with a thin smirk, finding humour in her words. "You to, Sarah," Pearl ordered. Sarah was hesitant at first but when she heard Scarlett hiss in pain she quickly complied, sitting next to her brother as he sat up. Across the room she saw Anna relax her fingers and remove her hand from Scarlett, allowing the girl to rubbed her throat. Her eyes then moved to Pearl, spotting Scarlett's necklace wrapped around her hand and held tight. But even with Scarlett they wouldn't stand a chance against Pearl and Anna. Both were older than Sarah and Damon and even a werewolf wouldn't even the fight.

"Now, onto business," Pearl declared as she sat down next to Anna, with Scarlett in between them. "We've taken up residence at a farmhouse just outside the town. It'll suffice for now.

"All 25 vampires?" Sarah asked in disbelief.

"Not all, some," Pearl answered. "I imagine that a few have already left town. Others are probably still in the woods or like us acclimating."

"How did they get out of the tomb?" Damon cut in, curiously. Sarah had been wondering that herself. She thought Bonnie and her grandmother had sealed the tomb back up after she and her brothers got out with Elena.

"I think the witch screwed up that part of her hocus pocus," Anna said with a smirk.

"I understand from Anna that the found families still have a secret council?" Pearl pressed on. Sarah snorted. She knew bits and pieces about the council, most of it she'd overheard from her brothers but as far as she was concerned they were hardly a threat. The only harm they'd done was to Lexi and that was entirely Damon's fault. Without his surprise stake to the back the humans wouldn't have stood a chance against her.

"And you're a part of it," Anna added with a nod to Damon.

"That's ridiculous," Damon scoffed.

"I've been in Mystic Falls since the comet, Damon. I'm up to speed," Anna said with knowing smugness. "And I know things even you don't," Anna said turning to Scarlett who shifted uncomfortably in her spot between the two vampires. Sarah's eyes darted over to Damon as his own eyes narrowed suspiciously. Luckily before he could ask any questions Pearl spoke up.

"Since you've infiltrated the council, I'll need to know everything they know. Starting with a listing names of all the council members and their families," Pearl ordered.

"And everyone you've supplied with vervain," Anna added pointedly.

"Yes, that will have to stop immediately," Pearl agreed.

"What exactly are you trying to achieve?" Damon asked curiously.

"Mystic Falls is our home, Damon. They took that from us. Our land, our home. It's time we rebuild."

"What, are you crazy? It was 1864. Wake up woman. The world has moved on," Damon exclaimed dramatically. Sarah shot him a warning look, the last thing she wanted was Damon's 'charming' attitude to put Scarlett in more danger that she was already in.

"As a reward for your help I'm willing to give you what you want most," Pearl said through pressed lips, trying to hold down her anger. She may have the advantage but she was still trying to act professionally.

"I want nothing," Damon replied.

"Katherine," Pearl said as both Damon and Sarah's eyes widened.

"No," Sarah snapped, more angry about what Pearl was offering than what she wanted in return. Personally Sarah could care less if the whole town was infested by vampires, she just wanted her family and that could never happy with Katherine in the picture. She turned to Damon, begging him not to take the deal with her forest green eyes.

"You wouldn't even know where she was," Damon pointed out turning back to Pearl. "You've been under the ground for the last century and a half."

"Katherine and I were best friends long before we came to Mystic Falls, Damon. I know how she thinks, I know her patterns, I know where to find her," Pearl explained as Sarah's heart sank.

"I no longer have any desire to see Katherine ever again." Sarah looked up to her brother, joy filling her eyes as she smiled uncontrollably at him. He'd finally gotten over her, he'd realised what a monster she was and that his family was what really matter. She couldn't be more happy, she would have hugged him if only Pearl and Anna weren't there. She was so happy she could feel tears forming in her eyes.

As Damon glance her way, he smirked at her before looking back to Pearl. "And there's no way in hell I'm gonna play the role of your little minion."

"I'm not asking for your help, Damon," Pearl said as she stood up, stepping around the smashed coffee table so that she was now stood in front of Damon and Sarah. "Finding Katherine was just a mere gesture of kindness. The rest is non-negotiable."

"And if we say no?" Damon asked with a tilt of his head. Pearl answered his question by grabbing his head and ramming her thumbs into his eyes. Blood gushed out as Sarah jumped in her seat. She moved to stop Pearl but then heard Scarlett scream and stopped. She looked over to Anna who had pulled Scarlett's head back, exposing her neck which was clear for Anna to bite should Sarah make any move against her mother. Regrettably Sarah backed down as Pearl pulled Damon from the couch, thumbs still stuck in his eyes sockets.

"I have four hundred years on you, little boy," Pearl said pulling her thumbs from Damon's skull as his eyes began to heal, though the blood continued to pour out at the same time. "I'll rip you from limb to limb without even blinking and you know it," Pearl snarled before turning on Sarah who was sat still as Pearl stepped over towards her. "As for you. Keep that mutt under control, and I'll allow her to stay. But if she kills any of my vampires, then both of you will be torn limb from limb. Understand?" Sarah nodded. Pearl smiled, her thin smile, grateful for the cooperation and then dropped Scarlett's necklace onto Sarah's lap.

"I'll be in touch," Pearl called over to Damon who was still sprawled out on the floor clutching his healing eyes. "Come on, Anna."

"But-" Anna began, having been looking forwards to killing the werewolf.

"I said come!" Pearl said firmly and Anna scowled as she released Scarlett. She did however manage to shove her to the ground before kicking her in the stomach as she stepped over her. Scarlett grunted in pain and growled at Anna as she passed her. Sarah was by her side in a flash and both watched as the two vampires walked out the front door.

"Are you alright?" Sarah asked as she handed the necklace back over.

"I will be as soon as I sink my teeth into Anna," Scarlett snarled as she put her necklace back on.

"No. You heard Pearl. You have to be careful from now on. Thanks too Anna these vampires are going to be looking for any reason to kill you, don't give them one," Sarah said before she turned to her groaning brother who was trying to stand up.

"Little help," Damon grumbled as he grabbed onto the couch's side. Sarah stepped away from Scarlett and over to Damon helping him up before pushing him down onto the couch. She turned back to talk to Scarlett only to find she'd already disappeared out the door.

"Oh, crap," Sarah sighed as she put her hands on her hips and stared towards the open door.

"What is it?" Damon groaned as he clutched his healing eyes.

"Nothing," Sarah said turning back to her injured brother. "I'll get you some blood, okay."

"Thanks," mumbled Damon as Sarah went grab a blood bag from their stash. She just hoped Scarlett didn't do anything dangerous and stupid while she was out tailing the tomb vampires. She was a smart kid with a good heart but those same things got her into trouble and she was one to act first and ask questions later, particularly when it came to the people she cared about. Like Jeremy…

* * *

Peeking out around the corner, Scarlett spotted Pearl and Anna walking down the street. She wasn't sure what they were up to but she couldn't imagine it was anything good. And as long as Anna still had an interest in Jeremy, Scarlett would be keeping an eye on her. She wouldn't let her hurt him, not after she'd used him like she had, how she'd almost killed him in her quest to get her mother back. She didn't deserve Jeremy.

Ducking into a side alley, Scarlett ran on ahead and cut across the street towards the square at the centre of town. She quickly took cover behind a tree and watched as the two vampires came to a stop next to…Jenna? What they hell did these two want with Jenna? Scarlett listened in for a while as they went through the introductions and Jenna talked about the property she was selling, presumably to Pearl and Anna. But again Scarlett wonder why? What would these two want with this building? Maybe use it a safe house in the town, or as a place to live? Neither seemed likely.

"Scarlett?" She jumped in the air and wheeled to find Jeremy stepping back with raised hands. "Whoa! Sorry, didn't mean to frighten you," Jeremy apologised with a sheepish smile.

"Jeremy-Sorry," Scarlett quickly apologised as she laughed awkwardly. Instantly she regretted it and feeling like an idiot. What was happening to her. Recently every time she saw Jeremy her heart started to beat a little faster and she started to feel her stomach turn nervously. What happened to the old Scarlett that used to hate his guts…did this have something to do with the werewolf thing? Or were her real feels just started to surface.

"You spying on Anna?" Jeremy teased.

"What? No! No-no I was just-" Scarlett blurted out.

"Relax, Scarlett, I was just joking. I know your not the jealous type," Jeremy said with a smile. "Not that you have anything to be jealous off…or that you'd be jealous if I did have a thing for some other girl."

"Do you have a thing for her?" Scarlett demanded pointing over towards Anna.

"No. No, she's just a friend," Jeremy explained quickly. "I mean she does have a thing for me, but I don't think about her that way. I've only ever been into…"

"Into who?" Scarlett asked with a raised eyebrow, teasing him.

"You know…" Jeremy said nervously as he scratched the back of his neck.

"For arguments sake let's say I don't," Scarlett said as she folded her arms. Jeremy blushed before looking away from Scarlett.

"You," he whispered quietly but thanks to Scarlett's supernatural hearing she heard him loud and clearly. Instinct took over next and Scarlett leaned over before planting a quick kiss on Jeremy's cheek. His cheeks weren't the only ones to turn bright red now. Scarlett's did to. She hadn't expected that to happen but she was glad it did as was Jeremy.

"You're…so awesome," Jeremy sighed with a love struck smile.

"Tell me something I don't know," Scarlett teased as Jeremy laughed. Scarlett smiled back at him, though she casually glanced over his shoulder and watched as Jenna and the two vampires headed into the quiet store. She'd hang around here until Jenna was away from them and then go back to tailing them…unless, perhaps, Jeremy gave her a better option.

Sitting down as she listened in on the store, Jeremy joined her and began to talk. Scarlett switched between Jeremy and the store, smiling and laughing along with him until finally her entire focus was on him, forgetting all about the vampires. She knew Jeremy's aunt was on vervain and the two vampires wouldn't be stupid to try anything in the middle of Mystic Falls during the day time. So why not relax and spend some time with Jeremy? And when she asked herself that question she realised she had no good excuse not too.

* * *

"Shouldn't you be babysitting your little ward instead of me?" Damon growled as he and Sarah walked into the Grill.

"And miss out on your delightfully conversation?" Sarah teased as they grabbed two seats at the bar. Once again Sarah was crushed with the enteral body of a seventeen year old, forbidden by law to drink in public. It sucked, particularly since she couldn't compel the staff to be okay with it. If she did the police might show up and get suspicious. So she was stuck with the soft drinks while Damon ordered a bourbon.

"How are you eyes?" Sarah asked, genuinely worried about him. Even with the aid of the blood his eyes were still taking a while to heal up. So much so that he had sunglasses on, his new eyes still sensitive to the light. Another reason he was hiding out in the Grill drinking. Still, it was better than looking for Katherine so Sarah counted her blessings and drank her cranberry juice while Damon drank his bourbon.

"Fine…" Damon drawled out as he shifted his sunglasses.

"What's with the glasses inside?" Both Sarah and Damon looked over to an older woman who sat down next to Damon. Sarah vividly recognised her from the pervious night during the auction. As she remembered she was more than a little drunk and rather annoying.

"My eyes are a little sensitive today," Damon answered with his standard smirk.

"How so?" the woman asked.

"I pocked him in the eyes," Sarah joked flatly as Kelly laughed an overdramatic laugh. So much so that Sarah raised her brow in confusion.

"I'm Kelly," she introduced herself.

"Sarah. My sensitive brother here is Damon," Sarah said gesturing to Damon with her empty glass as Damon raised his near empty one before downing the rest.

"You're new around here," Kelly said pointedly.

"On the contrary, I'm very old," Damon countered. "Bourbon, neat," he then said to the bartender.

"I haven't been gone that long. I would remember someone who looked like you," Kelly said as she looked Damon up and down. _Oh God_ , Sarah groaned with a roll of the eyes. Even when he was depressed and bringing down everyone around him, Damon was still a hit with the ladies. She wished it could be that simple for her sometimes.

"Yeah," Damon said, mildly intrigued.

"Where'd you go?" Sarah asked.

"Around, about," Kelly said casually with a shrug.

"I've been there," Damon agreed dryly as he sipped his bourbon.

"I love to see a man drown his sorrows. It's so sexy," Kelly said as she eyed Damon's bourbon.

"You've met the right man then," Sarah muttered.

"It's more like nursing my wounds," Damon explained, ignoring his little sister's remark. "And you?"

"I was supposed to be interviewing for the bartender job but I think the manager blew me off," Kelly explained as she looked around the Grill with no manager in sight.

"Not surprising," Sarah muttered a little louder, as she turned away from the two.

"Well, that's not very nice," Damon said in a child like tone.

"Yeah. Last time I was in town I slept with her boyfriend," Kelly admitted.

"I'm starting to see why she blew you off," Sarah admitted as Kelly smiled at her. Was this woman oblivious to the fact that she hated her or was she just in denial.

"It happens," Kelly said with a non caring shrug.

"Yes it does," agreed Damon as he drank from his bourbon.

"Kelly?" All three turned to find a beaming Jenna standing behind them staring at Kelly. "Kelly Donovan?" _Wait?! This was Matt's mom!_ Sarah suddenly had a whole new level of respect for Matt, seeing as he'd had to put up with this piece of trash. He must have been holding his family together this entire time.

"Jenna!" Kelly shouted equally as excited as Jenna was. She stood from her stool and the two embraced while Sarah shared a look with Damon who just shrugged.

"I heard you were back in town," Jenna said with a grin before turning to the two Salvatores. "She used to babysit me."

"And then I used to party with her," Kelly added before they two began to laugh.

"This woman is crazy." _More like pathetic._

"Not as crazy as you," Kelly countered as she playfully slapped Jenna on the shoulder.

"I'm not anymore," Jenna admitted, almost embarrassingly, which made no sense to Sarah. Jenna should be proud of the woman she'd turned into since becoming the legal guardian of Elena and Jeremy. She was kind hearted and loved her family, Sarah would rather have that any day than a old party animal like Kelly.

"Well sit, drink!" Kelly exclaimed as she gestured to the stools.

"I shouldn't. I'm more responsible now, haven't you heard?"

"Well, take a night off its good for the soul," Kelly said as she led her old friend towards the bar.

"Great for the soul," Damon added but it was Sarah's pleading look that made Jenna finally sit down, just to give her some company she didn't hate.

"This is not going to end well," Jenna groaned with a smile as she sat down along with Kelly.

"Can't wait," Damon said as he waved over the bartender, quickly getting him to bring them over three shots. He passed out the shots between the three adults and they then clicked their glasses before downing the shots as Sarah shook her head. She just prayed that once this day was all over that Damon wouldn't need her to babysit him anymore. It was getting harder with each passing second.

* * *

"You want something to drink?" Jeremy asked as he opened the fridge.

"I'll take some water," Scarlett said as she flicked through TV channels looking for something good for them both to watch. Though in truth she didn't watch an awful lot of TV. While living with her uncle she was lucky if he let her watch what he was watching and she never had control over the remote. Even living with the Salvatores she hadn't watched any TV. In fact she wasn't even sure they had a TV now that she thought about it.

"Here you go," Jeremy said handing Scarlett the glass of water while he held onto his own orange fruit juice.

"Thanks," Scarlett said with a small smile before sipping from the glass.

"Found something to watch?" Jeremy asked as he sat down next to Scarlett, letting his arm fall behind her on the back of the couch. Scarlett looked to his arm, wrapped around her, rising her brow before glancing at Jeremy.

"Sorry!" Jeremy quickly shot out as he pulled his arm away. Scarlett burst out laughing before quickly regaining control as she grinned at Jeremy.

"It's fine, Jeremy," Scarlett said before her smile broadened. "You can put it back if you like." She blushed a little, feeling like an idiotic teenage girl, which she was. Jeremy smiled widely back and put his arm back around Scarlett as she handed him the remote. "Put on whatever you want," Scarlett said casually as she let her head fall into against Jeremy's collar bone, watching the TV flick from channel to channel.

It took a while for Jeremy to find something he liked but when he did the two happy watched for a few minutes until the door bell rang. "Any chance your going to ignore that?" Scarlett asked looking up at Jeremy.

"Sorry," Jeremy said as he stood up and Scarlett moved aside before following him towards the front door. He pulled open the door and Scarlett felt her jaw tighten when she saw Anna on the other side of the door, her naive smile plastered on her face. But the werewolf could see the wicked look in her eye as they locked gazes.

"Anna?" Jeremy said in surprise.

"Surprised?" Anna asked playfully.

"That's one word for it," Scarlett growled lowly from behind Jeremy as her blue eyes briefly flashed golden.

"I thought you and your mom were leaving town," Jeremy pointed out, not noticing the tensions between the two ladies.

"Change of plans. Sorry, I thought you'd be psyched," Anna said a little disappointed to see Jeremy wasn't excited to see she was staying.

"Yeah, well, he's not. So, bye!" Scarlett said as she stepped past Jeremy aiming to close the door. She figured since Anna couldn't cross the threshold she couldn't stop her form slamming the door. But to her shock Anna's foot stopped her from closing the door and when she pulled the door back open she saw Anna's foot across the threshold.

"Problem?" Anna asked as Scarlett's eyes narrowed at the grinning vampire.

"No, no. There's no problem. Come on in," Jeremy said as he opened the door the rest of the way.

"Thanks," Anna said with a smirk to Scarlett as she walked inside. As Anna made her way into the living room, Scarlett tried to send Jeremy a warning glance but he was already following Anna, not giving her a second thought. It hurt her but that wasn't important. She had to make sure Anna didn't try anything. She'd already kidnapped Elena and herself and she wouldn't put it past Anna to do the same with Jeremy and then force him to love her. The thought made Scarlett clench her fists as her canines grew in. She did her best to relax her jaw until her teeth returned to normal. All she had to do was keep an eye on the vampire until she left and then she'd take care of her once and for all. She couldn't allow Anna to come and go as she pleased, at least not in the house where Jeremy lived.

* * *

Sarah was beginning to lose it. She'd been sat with the three adults for half an hour now, watching them do shot after shot while they laughed and laugh. Jenna had done her best to keep Sarah amused and involved in the conversation, but after the fourth or fifth shot she'd turned into a giggling lunatic. Admittedly Sarah loved it, she just wished she could get drunk as well. Being the designated driver was never fun. Or underage for that matter.

Shaking her head, Sarah dropped her head onto the counter top and sighed, wishing someone would come and save her from her brother and co.

"What's up with her?" Kelly asked, waving to Sarah who was getting closer and closer to ripping the woman's throat. The only thing holding her back was the fact she was Matt's mother. She couldn't take Matt's mother away after taking away his sister. He'd already lost enough, and he didn't even know it. But unlike Vicki this woman probably had it coming.

"She's sober," Damon stage whispered loudly as the three giggled drunkly.

"Being sober sucks!" Jenna groaned aloud as she raised her glass.

"Too right," Damon agreed before they all drank, the bartender returning to refill their glasses. "When your sober you have to face reality," Damon said moodily as he glared down at the counter with his shot before him.

"Don't be grumpy. It can't be that bad," Jenna said as she leaned over.

"You'd be surprised. My primary reason for existence has abandoned me and after today's events, the remains of the shaky ground that I walk on are about to go kaboom," Damon said as he turned to the other two woman, both looking worriedly at him. Even Sarah had looked up, worried that Damon might spill something he shouldn't. "Let's get hammered."

"Let's," agreed Kelly with a grin before the three clinked their glasses together before taking their shots.

"Lexi. If you can hear me. Please, save me!" Sarah muttered to herself as she looked up at the ceiling. She wasn't sure if it was Lexi or some other divine power but Sarah thanked whoever was listening when she heard what Jenna said.

"Hide. We're not here," Jenna said as she ducked down, pressing herself against Kelly.

"Why? Where'd we go?" Kelly asked as she too ducked down like the drunken idiot she was.

"Children under our care. Five o'clock," Jenna said dramatically as Sarah looked over to find Elena and Caroline making their way towards her.

"Hey, Sarah," Caroline greeted as Sarah smiled thankful for their rescue.

"Hey, guys," Sarah replied as she turned around in her seat.

"Jenna," Elena said with a smirk as she looked over to her aunt who was hiding against Kelly.

"Does she see me?" Jenna asked Sarah in a hushed whisper.

"Nah, your good," Sarah said with a careless wave as Elena and Caroline giggled.

"Thank God," Jenna sighed.

"Don't worry, I'll distract them," Sarah said with a wink to Jenna. "But you owe me." Sarah slid from her stool and gladly following the two high school girls into the bathroom.


	19. That Double Date Night Drama

_Review responses:_

 _Kelena-forever: I'm sure there will be a couple of moments in this chapter that you'll enjoy!_

 _prfh: Don't worry, Scarlett will get her __vengeance, eventually. One way or another._

 _As promised, here's the next chapter, and there's much more action in this one! And hopefully that will be the end of Sarah babysitting Damon, though I wouldn't bet it'll be the last time. So she'll get a bit more time to shine in this part, rather than sitting with the adult drinkers, what fun that would have been. Bar, Jenna, 'cause Jenna's nice. Also continuing on with Scarlett's plot, and some big things are about to go down, now that Anna and her are in the same house again! I can already hear some of you guys chanting, "Fight! Fight! Fight!".  
_

 _And thanks also for all the favourites and follows you guys! And don't forget to leave a review, I respond to every one and that's the same for PMs. I just love hearing what you all have to say and it makes my day and encourages me to write more. Hope you all enjoy the latest update to the story and I'll see you later!_

* * *

 **Chapter 19: That Double Date Night Drama**

* * *

Scarlett and Anna glared heatedly at each other while behind Jeremy's back. Scarlett was just waiting for Jeremy to leave the room long enough for her to kick Anna's ass. She hated the fact that she had made it inside the Gilbert house, but even so she wasn't about to let her stay. She was ready for anything Anna could through her way. She just needed a window where Jeremy wouldn't see her animalistic side.

When Jeremy turned back around, joining the two girls on the couch, they slid to opposite sides, letting him sit between them. He happily dropped down between them, two controlers in hand. He tossed one to Scarlett and she smiled at him, happy to be his first choice as a video game partner. Just for that she might even let him win…but probably not.

"So what made you and your mom decide to stay in town?" Jeremy asked as he started up the racing game and Scarlett and he began to play. Though Scarlett wasn't completely focused on the game as one eye always remained on Anna in case she made any sudden moves.

"She got this business opportunity; she's going to open up a little store," Anna began to explain with a smile. _Most likely that was the building Jenna had been showing them_ , Scarlett thought to herself as she continued to play the game. "It has always been her dream. So yeah we're staying. And I'm thinking about going back to high school, so you'll be seeing a little more of me." Scarlett turned from the TV and glared at the vampire. She was close to growling but managed to hold it back for Jeremy's sake. She didn't want to see more of Anna, she wanted to see less and frankly the idea of having to deal with Anna at school only made Scarlett more uncomfortable. The only up she could think off was the fact that Sarah and Stefan would be there to help her if Anna had some alternative motive.

"Yeah?" Jeremy asked curiously.

"Enough of homeschooling. I'd like to be a normal teen for once," Anna admitted.

"Fat chance of that," Scarlett said beneath her breath.

"But I have to ask my mom first, she'll have an opinion," Anna said with a roll of the eyes.

"Well, I wish you were there now. I actually have to write another paper. I was thinking about squeezing one more out on the 'Vampires of Mystic Falls'," Jeremy said as he turned to Anna, pausing the game as Scarlett frowned at him. He hadn't mentioned anything about a paper to her, much more one about vampires. Suddenly she picked up his heart rate, noticing that it had picked up slightly when he was taking about his paper. _Was he lying?_

"Really? Haven't you exhausted the subject?" Anna said nervously.

"No I want to go deeper, you know. I want to understand why people were labelled as vampires back in the day. I mean, maybe there's such a thing as vampires, they're just different from the way we always thought they were," Jeremy said as he stared at Anna with a curious look in his eyes.

"Maybe you should focus your attentions else where," Anna quickly suggested.

"Like where?" Jeremy asked with a frown.

"Werewolves?" Scarlett's eyes widened as Anna did her best to hide her smirk behind a smile. "I mean you've already done vampires, why not werewolves?"

"I guess… I never thought about werewolves," Jeremy admitted slowly as he looked up slightly, thinking over the journal he'd read.

"Oh, they were way worse than vampires. They're vicious animals with no concept of right and wrong and kill everything in sight on a full moon," Anna began to explain only making Scarlett angrier as her glare darkened towards Anna from behind Scarlett's back. She wasn't sure if what Anna was saying was true or not but either way she was saying it to get to her. If she wanted to play dirty then so could Scarlett.

"Really? 'Cause I heard vampires are just as bad, except they're like that every night, not just on full moons," Scarlett said as Jeremy turned to her and she flashed him a plastered smile. "I mean that's just what I hear. I personally prefer vampire stories over werewolf ones," Scarlett explained as she locked eyes with Jeremy's, her stomach turning over on itself as he smiled at her. She did her best not to blush in front of Anna but couldn't help but smile back in what she felt was a girly way.

"I guess I'd rather squeeze out one last vampire paper before moving onto werewolves," Jeremy admitted.

"Great idea," Scarlett said with a victorious look to Anna as she glared back at her. "Now, let's get back to me kicking your ass," Scarlett said as she unpaused the game and she and Jeremy returned to racing while Anna folded her arms in a pouting manor and glared at the two. Neither noticed, they were having to good a time with each other.

* * *

Since Sarah didn't need to go to the toilet, she just leaned against the wall and waited for Caroline and Elena to be done. Except Caroline didn't appear to need to go either, possibly having an alternative motive for brining Elena in here. A few seconds passed and Elena came out the stall and started to wash her hands while Caroline glared at her from behind with Sarah next to her, eyeing Caroline with a confused look.

"So, um, what are you doing?" Caroline asked as she stepped forwards.

"What?" Elena asked as she turned around.

"Well the point of this was to show him how much you care about Stefan. You know, not to hopscotch down memory lane," Caroline said, trying to hold back her anger which was starting to boil over.

"I feel like I'm missing something here," Sarah said as her eyes moved between the two. Elena offered her an equally confused look but it appeared Caroline wasn't going to give her an explanation either.

"I was just trying to make conversation," Elena defended herself.

"Try less," Caroline said bluntly as she turned and pushed open the door to leave.

"So glad I joined you guys," Sarah said with an amused smile as Elena walked out after Caroline.

"Real helpful, Sarah," Elena dryly said over her shoulder as Sarah followed out the bathroom.

"Glad you appreciate it," Sarah said with a grin.

"Stop it, we're focusing on Caroline right now," Elena said sternly as they walked after the blonde that was ahead of them.

"Whatever you say," Sarah said, still grinning as they gained on the blonde that was approaching Stefan and Matt who were playing a game off pool.

"Katherine?" a strange man suddenly asked, grabbing Elena's arm. Instantly Sarah tensed, eyes turning to the man that was holding Elena's arm.

"I'm sorry, you have the wrong person," Elena quickly said as she pulled her arm from the strangers grasp. She was about to leave when she noticed Sarah staring at the man. Worried she'd give them away, she grabbed onto Sarah's arm and smiled when the vampire looked her way. "Come on," Elena said calmly as she pulled Sarah along. Sarah played along but knew she recognised the man from somewhere and since he called Elena, Katherine then odds where he was a vampire himself.

Letting Elena led her over to the pool table, Sarah smiled as she joined the group.

"I see you successfully rescued my sister," Stefan said with a grin to the two girls that had returned with Sarah.

"Sorry about my mom," Matt apologised sincerely with a look to back it up while Elena pulled out her phone and began texting.

"It's fine," Sarah said with a shrug. "Damon's just as bad right now," Sarah said with a knowing look to Stefan who grinned back at her.

"How's the game?" Sarah asked motioning to the table, which Elena finished up her text, all acting perfectly normal.

"Matt's cheating," Stefan said playfully as he looked over to Matt who had his arm wrapped around Caroline.

"No need, I'm awesome," Matt replied as he and Caroline smiled at each other and chuckled. Then Stefan's phone pinged and he pulled it out to find he had a message from Elena. He frowned at his girlfriend before she nodded to the phone, indicating that he should read it. He complied, opening up his phone and reading the text from the woman next to him.

 _That man over there just called me Katherine._

Stefan looked up with a serious frown. He glanced over to Sarah who looked over as Stefan followed her eyes only to find the man that had recognised Elena as Katherine had disappeared. _Definitely a vampire_ , Sarah thought as she and Stefan did a quick search of the restaurant but he was already gone. The two Salvatores shared a worried look before rejoining the others.

They spent another half an hour or so at the Grill playing pool while the two vampires and Elena kept an eye out for the vampire in case he came back. He never showed his face again so Sarah assumed he'd run off the second he either recognised her and Stefan or after the disappointment of finding out Elena wasn't Katherine. They finished up their game, in which the girls beat the guys, mostly thanks to Sarah, and then headed for their cars before heading back to the Salvatore boarding house to continue the double date.

Elena drove since it was her car and then pulled to a stop outside the house. Matt was a little while behind with Caroline so this gave the three a chance to chat.

"So, you didn't recognise him, you haven't seen him before? Either of you?" Stefan asked looking Elena in concern while Sarah watched more carefully from the back seat.

"No, there was nothing familiar about him at all," Elena answered as she looked between the two vampires. Stefan who was sat in the passenger seat and Sarah who was sat in the back.

"Right, let's call it a night. Okay? Send Matt and Caroline home?" Stefan suggested with a tired sigh.

"No, the whole point of the night was to not have to deal with this stuff. We need to get through one night. One normal night," Elena begged.

"And how's that going for you?" Sarah asked with a teasing grin as Elena turned to her.

"Is it so bad to want one normal night?" Elena asked with a sad tired chuckle.

"No. I just admire your determination," admitted Sarah with a raised brow, genuinely impressed.

"You sure?" Stefan asked as Elena turned to him.

"No, I'm not sure, but I don't know what else to do," Elena admitted with a sigh.

"Whoa, whoa," Sarah exclaimed as she leaned forwards between the seats. "Where's that determination?" Elena smirked and looked away as Stefan grinned.

"She's right. If there is another vampire in town, he'll be here tomorrow. We can deal with it then," Elena said as Sarah smiled from the back seat.

"Okay then," Stefan said as Matt pulled to a stop behind them. "It's them. Come here," Stefan said as he pulled Elena into a heated kiss. Sarah gave them a couple of seconds before she began making gaging noises. The two pulled away and started laugh.

"Get a room," Sarah fake coughed out before the three got out the car.

"You guys alright?" Caroline asked as she walked along with Matt over to the Salvatores and Elena.

"Well, I just had to watch these two making out, so I've been better," Sarah said with a shrug as the others laugh.

"Come on, we'll show you inside," Stefan said, waving for the gang to follow him as he and Sarah opened the doors to their home. The group walked in, closing the doors behind them before walking into the living room. Sarah had already compelled a couple of guys to clean the mess and replace the coffee table so it looked as welcoming as ever.

"This is much better than watching Damon visit cougar town," Caroline said as they walked in, before then looking to her boyfriend with an apologetic look. "No offence."

"Don't remind me," Matt groaned before turning to the Salvatores. "I've always wanted to see what it looks like in this place," Matt said in awe as he looked around the huge living room.

"Yeah, I guess it's a bit much," Stefan admitted humbly.

"Yeah, my entire house could fit in here…like twice," Matt said, still recovering from the size of the house.

"You're too kind," Sarah said with a grin, nowhere near as humble as her brother.

"Feel like I've been here before. It's weird," Caroline said, eyes narrowing as she looked around. Seeing Elena's uncomfortable look, Sarah rubbed her arm reassuringly. Elena looked up to her and softly smiled before speaking.

"Do you guys want to watch a movie or something?" she quickly suggested.

Sarah grimaced. "We don't actually have a lot of movies."

"Seriously?" Caroline asked with a raised brow as Sarah shrugged. She was about to tell them how she was to busy to buy and watch movies but Matt noticed Stefan's miniature car collection first.

"Whoa! These are great!" Matt said excitedly as he walked over to the case, leaning down to look over the small cars from the past.

"This is uh…a little hobby of mine," Stefan said as he walked over to join Matt.

"Little?" Sarah exclaimed dramatically as everyone around her grinned. "He's been doing it for like fifty years." Caroline laughed at that and so did Elena, but Elena was the only one to know the truth to Sarah's words.

"Don't listen to them man," Matt said as he stood back up, patting Stefan on the back. "I did the entire Mustang series when I was nine."

"You like cars?" Stefan asked.

"It's an understatement," Matt said with a smile. Stefan looked over to his sister with a smile and Sarah grinned back at her brother, knowing what he was thinking.

"Go on then," Sarah said, nodding her head towards the front door.

"Come with me," Stefan said as he and Matt made for the door with the girls following behind them. They walked across the driveway towards the garage were Stefan was already opening up the door. Stefan walked in and Sarah cut in before Matt and walked in with him on her heels as Elena and Caroline remained by the door. Inside was a standard garage setting only with a large tarp covering car and something else as well.

"Prepare yourself, my friend," Stefan said with a grin.

"Seriously. You're going to flip," Sarah added with a grin of her own as Stefan grabbed the tarp. In one swift move he pulled the blanket off to reveal a red 1963 Porsche 356B Karmann Coupe. Both the Salvatores smiled as they looked over to Matt who was in awe at the rare and extremely valuable car.

"Wait, how do you have this?" Matt gapped as he walked over to the car, with wide eyes and open month.

"Got passed down through the family," Stefan said with a smile to Elena who grinned back at the two vampires. It was pretty obvious she had an idea of what actually happened. In truth Sarah had bought Stefan the car, or at least that's what she told him. She'd compelled it of a nasty piece of work that had tried to get her into bed before feeding off of him. Conveniently she left that out when giving Stefan the gift, knowing he wouldn't like the story behind it. To this day he still didn't know.

"Why don't you…I mean… Why don't you drive it?" Matt asked, still recovering from the shock.

"Well, it doesn't run. I mean it's not that…I could figure out," Stefan mumbled pathetically for an excuse. Sarah rolled her eyes. She'd given Stefan the car to enjoy himself, not so he could hide it away in the garage next to her baby. She glanced over at the other item, hidden away by another tarp and smiled to herself.

"Why would you keep a car that doesn't run?" Caroline asked from the doorway behind Elena who was watching them with a grin.

"Be more of a girl right now?" Matt asked teasingly to which Caroline fake laughed.

"What about this? What's under here," Elena asked walking over to the other tarp. She reached to peek under but before she could lift the tarp Sarah was over and hand her hand around Elena's wrist. Elena looked up sharply but relaxed when she saw the playfulness in Sarah's eyes.

"First rule," Sarah said holding up a single finger. "No body touches my baby," Sarah said as she let go off Elena's wrist and grabbed the tarp.

"Your baby?" Caroline asked with a frown.

"Yes," Sarah said firmly as she pulled off the tarp to reveal a cherry red and black ducati 1098 motorcycle. She'd only acquired it a few years back when the model was first released, and she'd never considered herself to much of a motorbike person. But she'd practically fallen in love with the bike from the moment her behind touched the seat.

"Whoa!" Matt squealed as he looked over the Porsche to the motorcycle that Sarah beamed proudly at. "Is that yours?"

"Hell yeah it is," Sarah said as she patted the seat of her bike affectionately.

"How did you afford something like this?" Matt asked as he walked around the Porsche to look over the bike. He went to touch it only to get slapped by Sarah.

"You've seen my house right?" Sarah asked jokingly as the group laughed.

"Hey, want to come take a look at this for me?" Stefan asked Matt as he opened up the back of the Porsche were the engine was stored.

"Elena, remember the old Camaro you're dad used to have?" Matt asked as he walked around to where Stefan was.

"Of course," Elena said as she skilfully reached to lean on Sarah's motorcycle only to have Sarah slap her wrist.

"You don't get a second warning," Sarah said only half playfully as she sternly pointed at Elena. They shared a chuckle but thankfully Elena didn't need a second warning and stepped aside so that Sarah was stood between Elena and her 'baby'.

"I built and rebuilt that engine 20 times," Matt said fondly as he remembered the hours spent on the old Camaro.

"I don't like sports cars; they're too hard to make out in," Caroline said from the door, trying to get back into the conversation.

"It wasn't that bad," Matt said with a grin to Elena before an awkward silence filled the air. Sarah looked around the uncomfortably room, everyone looking somewhere else bar each others eyes. Caroline finally sighed and walked out, heading off down the driveway.

"Well that got awkward fast," Sarah sighed as Elena stood up to follow Caroline.

"You mind coming with me?" Elena asked Sarah, feeling like she might need some back up.

"Sure," Sarah agreed with a thin smile as she stepped away from her motorcycle before stopping and turning back to the two boys. "Don't touch my bike, 'cause I will know and I will kill you both," she warned, and they both believed her as she followed Elena out after Caroline.

"Why exactly do you care so much about that bike?" Elena asked as the two walked side by side towards Caroline who was stood at the end of the driveway.

"Let's solve the problem with Caroline first, then maybe I'll tell you later," Sarah said with a grin as Elena smiled back. That smile quickly dropped though when they approached Caroline.

"Caroline…" Elena said softly as she and Sarah approached the blonde.

"I don't want to talk about it," Caroline said stubbornly.

"You're being ridiculous," Elena pointed out as Caroline turned around.

"And insecure and stupid. But that doesn't change the fact that Matt's always gonna be in love with you and I'm always gonna be the back up," Caroline listed off sadly.

"You're not the back up," Elena insisted.

"Yes I'm. I'm Matt's Elena back up; I'm your Bonnie back up."

"Now it's about me and Bonnie?" Elena asked with a frown.

"You don't get it. Why would you? You're everyone's first choice," Caroline said as she folded her arms and Elena stared back at her with hurt eyes.

"Well, I get it," Sarah spoke up as both girls turned to her. "You think my brothers put me first, when it comes to…anything," Sarah said with a chuckle. "Doesn't change how I feel about them. I know they care about me to. They love me in their own stupid way, just like Matt loves you," Sarah said as she stepped over to Caroline showing off a reassuring smile. But Caroline still didn't seem convinced.

Hearing a car engine from behind, Sarah looked back over her shoulder to see Matt and Stefan driving the Porsche out of the garage and over to the three girls. She shot Elena an 'I tried' smile which Elena nodded back appreciatively.

"Piece of cake!" Matt said aloud as he pulled the car to a stop and climbed out. Caroline sent him a smile before looking down shyly and Matt's excited demeanour dropped.

"You know what?" Stefan spoke up, grabbing everyone's attention. "Why don't you guys go ahead and take it for a spin?" Stefan suggested as she threw the keys to Matt who caught them.

"Really?" he asked in awe as he looked for the keys in his hand to Stefan who as on the other side of the car.

"Yeah," Stefan said as he walked around the car.

"Caroline?" Matt asked as he opened up the passenger door for her. Caroline hesitated for a moment until Sarah nudged her elbow, sending her a grin which made Caroline smile. She then silently stepped forwards and climbed into the car. Stefan gave Matt a two finger salute as Matt pointed back to him thankfully as he climbed into the drivers seat. He then started up the car and drove off into the forest while Elena and the two Salvatores watched them go.

"You alright?" Stefan asked as he stepped up to Elena's side.

"If it's not vampires, it's girlfriends," Elena sighed as she let Stefan wrap his arms around her. Holding her as her head fell gently against his shoulder.

"You better not have touched my bike," Sarah warned from the side with narrow eyes before the couple began to laugh.

* * *

"Alright. Roast beef, turkey, what do you want?" Jeremy asked as he turned away from the fridge closing it with his foot as he held the meets in hand.

"The works," both girls said at the same time before turning to each other. Anna was at the far side of the kitchen while Scarlett was by the island.

"Okay, I like your styles," Jeremy said as he sat the meats down on the counter, not noticing the heated glare between werewolf and vampire. Scarlett couldn't believe that had just happened. She hated herself for it, but hated Anna even more. How could they get along, they were polar opposites. She was a werewolf and Anna was vampire…true that was really the only thing they didn't agree on but Scarlett couldn't stand the short vampire. Maybe the fact she had eyes for Jeremy wasn't helping either…perhaps they could have been friends at one point.

Scarlett shook the thought from her head, that was ridicules, she could never been friends with someone like Anna. She used people and manipulated them to her own ends all so she could achieve her own goals while leaving others to rot. She would have killed Jeremy that night at the tomb had it meant getting her mother back. _But would I make a different choice?_ Scarlett wondered, remembering her love for her mother before her father killed her.

"Anna, grab the bread for me?"

"Okay," Anna said as she turned to grab the bread from the corner of the kitchen. Scarlett kept her gaze on Anna's back, watching in case she was reaching for a knife or anything else. She was so focused it took her a minute to pick up the accelerated heart rate followed by the smell of blood in the air. Hearing Jeremy wince behind her she turned to find him clutching the plan of his hand as blood ran out a fresh cut.

 _Oh crap…_

"What are you doing?" Anna asked with a fearful look as she stared across at Jeremy. At first the look confused Scarlett, she figured that would have been Anna's dinner bell and the she would have been on Jeremy in seconds sucking him dry. But instead she stood, froze, scared of the blood dripping from his hand. It was then Scarlett realised that Anna really did care about Jeremy. So much so that she wouldn't even feed on him, and somewhere deep down, Scarlett almost felt sorry for her.

"It's just a cut. Can you hand me that towel?" Jeremy asked motioning to the towel by Anna.

"I can't," Anna said uncomfortably, her eyes fixed on Jeremy's blood.

"You got a problem with blood, Anna?" Jeremy asked almost knowingly. Deciding to give Anna and break and possibly save Jeremy in the process, Scarlett dashed over and grabbed the towel before marching back over to Jeremy.

"Here," Scarlett said shoving the towel into his bleeding palm.

"What's the big deal? It's just blood?' Jeremy said as he threw the now bloodied towel aside and stepped around Scarlett heading for Anna. However he was quickly pulled to a halt when Scarlett grabbed his shoulder.

"She's clearly uncomfortable, so leave her alone," Scarlett ordered sternly as Jeremy looked back.

"But it's just blood, right, Anna?" Jeremy said holding out his bleeding hand towards Anna. That was it, the final straw for her. Scarlett had tried to save him but now it was all revealed. Anna's eyes filled with blood, the veins beneath her eyes darkened and she ran forwards, grabbing Jeremy by the throat and pushing him past Scarlett and up against the wall. She hissed at him as her fangs formed in her mouth.

"What are you doing?!" she demanded as she held Jeremy up against the wall.

"I knew it," Jeremy said with a proud smile, not realising the danger her was in. But Scarlett was ready for this, she ran at Anna, claws forming as she dug them into her back. She pulled the vampire from Jeremy and threw her over the island and across the kitchen, letting out a roar as her eyes turned bright amber with black backgrounds.

"Scarlett?" Jeremy whispered from behind as Scarlett turned to him, her werewolf features now fully showing. "Oh my god…" Jeremy whispered as he stared at Scarlett's new form. Her stomach dropped. She'd been so caught up in protecting Jeremy that she'd never thought about what would happen when he saw the real her, the wolf version. She stared at him quietly, her features returning to normal as her the glow in her eyes faded and her claws retracted.

"What are you?" Jeremy asked taking a step towards Scarlett who took a step back in response. Hearing the front door open, both looked down the hallway to see Jenna staggering through the front door before closing it behind her.

"Hey, Jenna," Scarlett said with a subtle wave of the hand.

"Jenna! Hey, what's up?" Jeremy said in a little more panic. He wasn't as used to lying as she was, it was almost cute and it probably would have been had Jeremy not just found out about vampires and werewolves.

"Regret," Jenna sighed with a tired smile. "Make sure you lock that up," Jenna said with a nod through to the kitchen. Confused as to what she was talking about, Scarlett looked back to find the back door wide open and Anna gone. She took in a breath, the vampire's sent still lingering in the air. If she left now she could follow her, make sure she stayed away from Jeremy, at least for tonight.

"Scarlett…" Jeremy said as he touched her shoulder but she shrugged it off. She was mad at him. He'd clearly known something but he'd kept it from her and he'd put himself in danger. She shot him a glare and then stormed out the back door, slamming the door behind her before heading out after Anna's trail. Heading towards a bush in the corner of the garden, Scarlett stripped down before she began to transform, her necklace still hanging round her neck when she was done. It had been to long since she'd last changed and she could do with a run after what just happened.

* * *

Hearing the front door opened, Sarah, Stefan and Elena walked from the living room to find Matt and Caroline staring in horror down the hallway. Following her gaze, Sarah's jaw dropped as her own eyes widened in disgust to find Damon making out with Kelly Donovan down the hall.

"Mom?!" Matt gasped.

"Damon?!" Sarah added as the five teens stared at the young and old adult.

"Oh my god, Matt!" Kelly exclaimed as she backed way from Damon, pulling the bottom of her dress down. That did it, if Matt said the word this woman was dead. She had no morals and was a complete slut with no care for her children one why or the other. Heck it took one to go missing just for her to show up again. Sarah glared at her angrily as Kelly quickly grabbed her handbag from the table before rushing out in embarrassment.

"I got to…" Matt said slowly as he pointed towards the door.

"It's fine, just go," Caroline said understandingly.

"I'll take her home, Elena offered to which Matt nodded appreciatively.

"Thanks, man," Matt said before handing the Porsche keys back over to Stefan who smiled back at him.

"If you need anything, then call us," Sarah said supportively to Matt who smiled softly before heading out after his mother. Once he was gone, the door closed behind him, the four remaining teens turned to face Damon who drunkenly stared back at them before taking a sip from the glass he'd already poured. When Damon got sick of the critical looks he was getting he made his way into the study and Stefan and Sarah walked Elena and Caroline to their car.

"Sorry I'm bailing," Elena said as Caroline climbed into the passenger seat.

"Just wish you let me drive you home," Stefan said with a ghost of a smile to his girlfriend.

"Normal people don't have chaperones or bodyguards or baby-sitters," Elena listed off with a grin.

"They do however have over protective boyfriends," Sarah pointed out from the door with a grin as Elena laughed and Stefan rolled his eyes.

"I just worry about you is all," Stefan explained as he took Elena's hands in his own.

"Stefan, I can't live every minute afraid that someone is gonna come after me. I won't, it's not living," Elena explained.

"Okay. Call me when you get home safe," Stefan said with a smile as he took Elena's face and planted a gentle kiss on her lips.

"Bye, Stefan," Elena said as he opened her door for her.

"Goodbye," Stefan replied.

"Night, Sarah," Elena called as she climbed into the car, closing the door as she got in.

"Goodnight, Elena," Sarah called back before stepping back into the house along with Stefan. They stood in the hallway a moment, watching Elena drive off until her car was no longer in sight, then they closed the door. Now they had to deal with their older brother. They made their way into the study, Sarah first followed by Stefan before they both stopped in front Damon, folding their arms.

"Don't look at me like that," Damon said with a roll of the eyes as he glanced up at his siblings.

"Are you crazy?" Stefan asked rhetorically.

"Save the lecture. Look-" Damon began before suddenly the far window smashed and a man jumped through at vampire speed. Sarah instantly recognised him as the mean from the Grill that had recognised Elena, and while she didn't recognise him, he sure as hell recognised the Salvatores. Quickly scooping up a piece of glass, the man threw it right for Sarah's neck but Stefan ran out in front of her and it hit his heart instead.

"Stefan!" Sarah cried as her brother fell to the floor, the shard of glass embedded in his chest as he groaned from the floor. The vampire ran for Stefan, about to try and finish him off, but Sarah cut him off, grabbing him by his shoulders and throwing him over to Damon. Her eldest brother grabbed the vampire and pulled him up before they began to fight while Sarah bent down to help Stefan. She pulled the glass shard from his heart and looked up too see another vampire enter the room through the smashed window. This one female.

"Help Damon," Sarah ordered Stefan as she helped him up. Out of the three of them, she was in the best fighting condition. Damon was drunk and Stefan was still on animal blood, so better for them to team up while she took on the second vampire. Stefan nodded before running over to help pray the first vampire off of Damon. Sarah ran at the second vampire and she ran at Sarah in return. Both crashed into each other before dropping to the ground. Sarah was the first back up, smashing a nearby wooden chair before grabbing the broken leg to use as a stake. By the time Sarah had turned around the vampire was back on her feet too, hissing as her vampire features came out.

"One chance. Take your friend and walk away," Sarah warned, holding out the stake. The vampire just hissed in response. Sarah shrugged, she'd given the vampire her chance and now she was going to get what she deserved for breaking into her home. Sarah threw the stake at the vampire's heart but she side stepped it and the stake hit the wall. The vampire smirked and Sarah ran forwards, grabbing the vampire before shoving her back against the wall.

A gasp filled the air as the vampire looked down to find the stake that was stuck in the wall had gone through her chest and hit her heart. She looked back up at Sarah, her skin turning grey as she slowly faded away. Sarah smirked back, now having won and watched the life leave the vampire's eyes as her head dropped.

With her vampire dealt with, Sarah turned around to find Damon and Stefan doing fairly well against the first vampire. She watched as Stefan kicked him in the chest before ducking out of the way as Damon ran forwards and sent the vampire flying with a uppercut. The vampire flew over to the fire place but quickly recovered before noticing the dead vampire next to Sarah. He glanced between the three Salvatores before running for the window. Sarah tried to cut him off but by the time she reached the window he was already gone. She scanned the darkness outside in case he threatened to return but there was no sign of him. She made a mental note to ask Scarlett to sniff the area when she got back.

Then she turned back to her brother frowning angrily as she said, "What the hell was that about?"

"I remember them from 1864," Stefan answered, still recovering from his stab wound and breathing heavily.

"So they were from the tomb. But Pearl said-" Sarah said slowly trying to figure it out as her face screwed up in thought.

"Wait, Pearl?" Stefan cut in with a confused glare between his two siblings. "What's Katherine's best friend got to do with this?"

"Yeah…about that…" Damon said slowly as his brother turned to him. "A bunch of tomb vampires may have gotten out…"

Stefan stepped towards his brother, jaw tightening as he asked, "How?"

"Well…remeber that blood I took into the tomb?" Damon asked slowly.

"Oh my god," Stefan sighed as he closed his eyes, rolling his head back before running his hands down his face. He really did have the most problematic brother in history. "But what about the spell?" Stefan then asked. "That should have stopped them from leaving.

"Guess not." Damon shrugged, before adding carelessly, "Looks like Grandma Bennett died for nothing."

"Wait…Bonnie's Grandma died?" Sarah asked, looking to Stefan for confirmation.

"I thought you knew," Stefan said as he averted his gaze, rubbing the back of his neck as Sarah glared at him.

"Well, that explains why I haven't seen her in awhile. She must hate us," Sarah sighed, running her hand down the side of her face.

"Can we get back to the real issue here?" Damon asked as he gestured to the vampire on their wall.

"Oh, you mean the tomb vampires that are now scattered through Mystic Falls because of you?" Stefan asked rhetorically as he pointed to his brother.

"I'm not going to hear the end of this any time soon am I?" Damon muttered as he looked over to his sister.

"No," Sarah answered with sarcastic sweetness. "Now help me burn the body. Then you can get someone to fix the window," Sarah said as she walked over to the dead vampire and pried her body off the wall. She let it drop to floor and when Damon joined her they each took an end. Damon at the head while Sarah took the feet. Sarah was about to call Stefan over to help but then saw that he was on the phone. She quickly focused her hearing on the voice coming from the phone and found it to be Elena.

"Is everything alright? You sound serious," Elena asked down the phone.

"No, no, no, no. Not tonight, you still have a few minutes left of normal. I'll tell you about it tomorrow okay?" Stefan said into his phone.

"I had a really nice time on our date tonight," Elena said.

"Such a lair," Stefan replied teasingly.

"No, I'm serious," Elena said with a chuckle. "In a way it was exactly what it was supposed to be."

"Really, Damon was supposed to walk in and start making out with Matt's mom?" Sarah asked as Damon laughed aloud.

"What was that?" Elena asked, having only faintly heard Sarah and Damon in the background.

"Nothing. I had a really nice time too," Stefan said before Elena hung up on him.

"You ready to come and give us a hand?" Damon asked as Stefan turned towards them.

* * *

Returning to the Gilbert back garden, Scarlett retrieved her cloths before returning to her human form. She'd checked all over the neighbourhood but there was no sign of Anna's scent. She'd managed to get herself clear quickly, so much so that Scarlett only followed the trail for a few blocks before giving up. From everything she could find, Anna was long gone and that meant Jeremy was safe. It also meant it was time to find out what he knew and why he'd done such a stupid thing.

Since his window was open, Scarlett easily climbed up the drain pipe and then climbed quietly into Jeremy's room. He wasn't in when she arrived so she waited patiently on his bed until he eventually walked in from his bathroom.

"Oh! Hey…Scarlett," Jeremy said slowly as he stared at the teenage girl that was glaring back at him with folded arms.

"You could have died tonight," Scarlett said bluntly.

"But I didn't," Jeremy said cockily.

"But you would have had I not been there," Scarlett snapped as she stood up, her glare intensifying as Jeremy's smile faltered. "Jeremy, this is dangerous stuff your getting involved with. I mean…God! Why? Why'd you do that, force Anna to show herself?" Jeremy stared at her for a moment, as if replaying her words in his head.

"Wait, you knew about Anna?" Jeremy accused.

"Don't!' Scarlett snapped making Jeremy jump. "You don't get to turn this around. Yeah, I knew. And Anna knew about me so we had a mutual understanding not to tell anyone. But you're the one in trouble here. I can protect myself…you can't." Scarlett sighed as she ran her hand through her hair. "How did you even figure it out anyway?"

Jeremy shrugged. "Lots of little things. The stuff with Vick, the bite that mad her crazy. The stuff Anna told me about the vampires and the way her eyes changed that night in the cemetery," Jeremy explained. Scarlett cringed at the mention of Vicki. He still didn't know the truth. She'd remembered when she first changed but his memories were still locked away, curtesy of the Salvatores.

"I promise I won't tell. About any of it! You or Anna," Jeremy promised quickly as he stepped over towards Scarlett who stood still.

"Thanks. But that doesn't justify what you did tonight." Jeremy sighed.

"I just…I just wanted to know the truth about the vampires. And now I know the truth about you too," Jeremy said as he looked at Scarlett with a caring smile, clearly happy he now knew.

Scarlett's fingers wrapped around her necklace, playing with it as she averted her gaze briefly before locking eyes with Jeremy again. 'What are you?" Jeremy asked slowly.

Scarlett stared at him for a moment before sighing, readying herself to him the truth. "I'm a Werewolf."


	20. Let the Right One In

_Review responses:_

 _Hybrid: Good to know, thanks for the support._

 _Kelena-forever: Thank you so much for the __support! I'm glad you enjoyed it and hopefully there will be more moments in this chapter you like. Bit more action than the last one but I'm glad you had fun with the cute moments._

Charmedbycharmed: _Yeah! He does, and now you get his reaction to it. I'm glad you like them both as a couple, I know there not the main stars but I do really like writing them together and I'm so happy you like them as a couple. Hopefully it won't be too long until Scarlett acts on her feelings for Jeremy, frankly, it's killing me not to just have them be together already. And yes, I think Sarah was being a little flirty with Elena. It works for them both just now and helps their developing friendship..._

Only reviewer: _Lol! Sorry for making you think of Kaite in full biker gear, not my intention but I'm glad you liked the bike. There is of course a story there which you'll find out abut later on. And yeah, I won't be doing Scarlett/Anna, way to much tension between those two, but I do like the idea of vampire werewolf relationships so that'll be something to think about. Don't worry, Damon's less of a pain in this chapter, but only by a little bit._

 _aguilarpearl777: Me too! But Scarlett and Anna, I wouldn't hold your breath. But maybe there'll be something down the line?_

 _I love this episode in the series! By far one of my favourites form season 1 and I was so excited to get to it, now you guys get to see some more action! Much to my annoyance I've broken this into two parts again, just because it was looking too long with what I've currently got which unfortunately means you'll have to wait for the next part. It sucks, for me and you, but we'll get through it, I promise._

 _Also, since this is my twentieth chapter, that means I'm going to give a shout out to another fellow writer and story, 'cause I like to spread the word about stories I like. This one goes to **WriteToEscapeReality1309** who's writing the brilliant story titled, **'Stained with Sin'**. And quite fittingly it starts on the same episode as this chapter! It follows the story of a tomb vampire who used to know Stefan and Damon. I can't give it justice in this short paragraph but I highly recommend you check it out and show the writer some support!_

 _And thanks also for all the favourites and follows you guys! Seriously the support for this story never ceases to amaze me, thank you all! And don't forget to leave a review, I respond to every one and that's the same for PMs. And to those that have been leaving reviews, you're all fantastic and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I just love hearing what you all have to say and it makes my day and encourages me to write more. Hope you all enjoy the latest update to the story and I'll see you later!_

* * *

 **Chapter 20: Let the Right One In**

* * *

It was oddly uplifting to finally tell Jeremy the truth about what she was. Through the entire explanation Jeremy sat still, listening to every detail and nodding at appropriate moments but as far as Scarlett could tell he really was listening to her. He cared about her and the things that effected her. And the more he showed concern, the more Scarlett realised just how much she cared about him. He was such a good guy, why hadn't she seen it before?

"So that's about the just of it. This necklace seems to help me control my powers and with it I can shift at will," Scarlett finished off as she fingers her necklace.

"It was your mother's right?" Jeremy asked to clarify, watching her play with the black crystal.

"Yeah," Scarlett said with a genuine smile as she looked up. He smiled back at her and their eyes met. Scarlett could hear her heart picking up…but also Jeremy's.

"Scarlett, I just want you to know. It doesn't matter to me. It doesn't change anything and I'm not even mad you kept this from me. I totally understand, but I'd like to help from now on." Scarlett looked at Jeremy with an unsure look. "Please," he said as he reached over and rested his hand on her knee, both sitting side by side on his bed.

"Alright, you can help," Scarlett sighed as Jeremy's smile grew. "But only when I say, I don't want you getting hurt."

"You care about me," stated Jeremy with a smug grin.

"Of course I do, dumbass," Scarlett replied as she hit his shoulder. He groaned in pain, rubbing his shoulder while still smiling. Scarlett internally groaned. _Why had she hit him?_ That's not the kind of thing you do to someone you have a crush on. Not unless your in middle school. Her emotions were just so confusing, even before she became a werewolf. Maybe she should talk to Sarah more about her feelings towards Jeremy, see if she could help her. Then again she didn't need anyone's help before, why should she now. She could handle this. All she had to do was tell Jeremy how she felt.

"Jeremy…" Scarlett began as she turned to him. The rest never got said though as before Scarlett could muster up the courage to finish her sentence, Jeremy's bedroom door opened up and Elena stepped through.

"Jeremy…Oh! Hey, Scarlett," Elena said, a little thrown by the girl's appearance in her brother's room.

"Hey, Elena," Scarlett replied as she waved sheepishly to Jeremy's older sister.

"What's up?" Jeremy asked, moving on to the reason his sister was in her room.

"It looks like theres a big storm rolling in. Can you guys help make sure all the windows are closed?" Elena asked.

"Sure," both teenager replied as they stood up off the bed. The three walked out the room to find Jenna walking around on the landing before she noticed Scarlett and frowned.

"Scarlett?" Jenna asked, wondering if she was seeing things.

"Hi," Scarlett said with another nervous wave of the hand.

"Was she just…?" Jenna asked slowly as she pointed to Jeremy's room.

"Yep," Elena said with a thin liked smile as she nodded. Jenna grinned, the kinda of grin mothers grinned when their sons did something like kiss a girl for the first time.

"Oh," Jenna said in amusement.

"Oh, brother," Jeremy sighed with a roll of the eyes as Jenna and Elena laughed. Even Scarlett smiled at the whole situation.

"Alright. Help us check the windows and you can sleep in the guest room," Jenna said motioning to the spare room. "I'll call Sarah, make sure she knows where you are so she's not worrying."

"I can drive her back there in the morning," Elena added.

"Sounds like a plan," Jenna said as she began to descend the stairs.

"Thanks," Scarlett said with a small sensitive smile.

"No problem. And Jeremy," Jenna said as she looked up at Jeremy who was leaning against the banister.

"Yeah?" Jeremy asked.

"Leave the girl along, and Elena, make sure to check he's in his room before you go to sleep," Jenna said teasingly as Jeremy groaned and Elena and Scarlett smiled at each other.

"I hate her. Honestly, I hate her," Jeremy groaned as the three teenagers began to walk down the stairs after Jenna.

"I can hear you!" Jenna called back.

* * *

"I say we go to Pearl's, bust down the door, and annihilate the idiot that attacked us last night," Damon declared from fire place in the living room. On one couch was Elena and Stefan and the other was Sarah and Scarlett. After dealing with the disposal of the the vampire that had attacked them - later identified as Beth-Anne, and the one that lived being called Frederick, by Damon - Sarah had gotten a call from Jenna telling her Scarlett was at their house. Sarah thanked her for calling and would have offered to pick her up the next day had Elena not already agreed to bring her over, which was handy since it'd give them all a chance to meet up and talk.

"Yeah. And then what?" Stefan asked, his arm around Elena's shoulders as everyone watched Damon pace in front of the fire place. "We turn to the rest of the vampires house and say, 'Oops. Sorry?'" Stefan said sarcastically.

"I can't believe you made a deal with her," Elena said moodily as she folded her arms across her chest.

"Elena, meet my evil manipulative self serving brother, Damon," Sarah said sarcastically as she gestured to her brother. She saw the ghost of smile from Elena and Stefan while Damon just grinned ironically at her.

"I knew there was something up with him," Scarlett added in the same tone.

"Shut it, Scrappy," Damon ordered to with a point to the girl next to Sarah. "And besides, it was more like a helpful exchange of information. And it's not like I had a choice. She's…scary. Beside, she's gonna help me get Katherine back."

"Of course she is. Damon gets what he wants, as usual. No matter who he hurts in the process," Elena said bitterly.

"You don't have to be snarky about it," Damon said with a glare.

"Yes she does," Sarah said justifiably.

"I woke up this morning to learn that all the vampires have been released from the tomb. I've earned Snarky," Elena agreed with a glare to Damon.

"How long are you going to blame me for turning you birth mother into a vampire?" Damon asked not so casually.

"Wait what?!" Scarlett exclaimed sitting up right.

"You didn't tell her?" Stefan asked Sarah a little surprised.

"Why would I? It's Elena's secret," Sarah said with a shrug, spotting Elena's grateful smile.

"Does Jeremy know?" Scarlett quickly asked to which Elena shook her head.

"No, and please don't tell him, I want to do it myself," Elena begged.

"Okay," Scarlett said with a nod. Just something else she was going to have to keep from him. At least he knew her big secret, even if Elena and Damon didn't.

"And I'm not blaming you, Damon," Elena said turning back to the oldest Salvatore. "I've accepted the fact that you're a self-serving psychopath with no redeeming qualities."

"Ouch," Damon said faking hurt.

"This isn't being very productive. We're gonna figure out a way to deal with Pearl and the vampires. Yeah?" Stefan asked Damon who glared back at him. He looked from Stefan to his sister on the opposite couch and then walked out.

"Well that could have gone better," Sarah sighed.

"I'm sorry. He just makes me so cranky," Elena groaned as Stefan brought her into a hug.

"I know. He makes everybody cranky," Stefan said sympathetically.

"So, what are we going to do?" Elena asked as she pulled away from Stefan.

"Damon, Sarah and I are gonna handle everything, I promise," Stefan said reassuringly.

"Well, what about me? I can't just sit here and do nothing," Elena said stubbornly.

"Yeah, and I want to help too," Scarlett agreed, sitting up again. Stefan and Sarah shared a look.

"You handle your girlfriend, I'll handle your my ward," Sarah said as Stefan nodded in agreement.

"What's she talking about?" Elena asked turning to Stefan.

"Come on, Scarlett," Sarah said getting up. With a frown the girl followed the youngest Salvatore out the room and into the hallway while Stefan told Elena why she wasn't helping with the tomb vampires. "Alright, I'll make this easy. Your not getting involved in this," Sarah said folding her arms as Scarlett gaped back at her.

"But why?" Scarlett exclaimed.

"It's for your own safety," Sarah explained, as if that closed the matter.

"I'm not Elena, remember, I'm the local Werewolf," Scarlett said pulling at her necklace, to which Sarah quickly 'ssshhed' her.

"Which you're not supposed to talk about, especially when Damon's around," Sarah hissed.

"Yeah, yeah," Scarlett sighed, she was getting sick of having to watch her back constantly while in the Salvatore house. "But the point is I can help."

"Not without possibly exposing yourself" Sarah pointed out in return, leaning in towards Scarlett.

"It's my secret," protested Scarlett.

"And if Damon finds out you'll be dead in under two seconds," Sarah snapped back.

"I can look after myself," Scarlett pouted.

"Yes you can," Sarah agreed. "But I'm not letting you put your life at risk when this doesn't concern you."

"But it does concern me. I live with you guys and if people are coming after you then they're more than likely coming after me too. You helped me out by pushing me to kill my Uncle and by giving me a home. Let me help. Please," Scarlett begged as she placed her hands together, which wasn't something Sarah had seen her do a lot. Thinking over it for a moment it would probably be in her best interest to show Scarlett what they were up against. She was going to need to learn to defend herself sooner or later and it was better for her to know her enemy than to ignore it.

"Alright…" Sarah said slowly as Scarlett smiled triumphantly. "But while your involved you do exactly as I say and stay by me at all times, understood," Sarah said firmly and Scarlett nodded.

"Totally, of course, one-hundred precent agree," Scarlett said happily as she swayed from one foot to the other.

"I'm going to regret this aren't I," Sarah stated with a sigh.

"Probably," Scarlett agreed, still grinning as she stepped around Sarah and made her way towards her room.

For the next half an hour, Sarah decided to do some training to make sure she was ready for whatever trouble they had to face. She managed to find a cleared out room and dragged in a couple of punching bags before setting to work. Using her enhanced spend and strength she moved for one bag to the other, using a combination of punches and kicks, she flipped this way and that until she finally stopped to catch her breath. Flicking her long raven black ponytail over her shoulder, she turned to find Stefan walking into the room, dressed in a hoodie with his hood pulled up.

"Going out?" Sarah asked.

"I gotta get my strength back up. If that fight proved anything it's that I need to be at my peak if we go up against these vampires again," Stefan explained.

"I could have told you that. Oh, wait! I did," Sarah pointed out with smug smile.

"Well I'm heading out to feed," Stefan said, gesturing over his shoulder to the door.

"We've got blood bags right here," Sarah pointed out.

"I'm not having this argument right now," Stefan said as he shook his head and turned to leave.

"You know I'm right," Sarah called after him as he waved goodbye to her, leaving her to her training. After awhile Sarah grew tired and called it a day. She shoved the punching bags off to the side of the room and left them, thinking maybe she could turn the room into a gym later on. Something she could think about later after they dealt with the vampires. She made her way down stairs, wiping the sweat from her brow with her towel as she made her way into the living room. But to her surprise, Stefan was nowhere to be seen.

Hearing footsteps behind her, Sarah turned to find Scarlett walking down the hallway with a bowl of grapes in hand. "Scarlett." The teenager looked up, still chewing what was in her mouth. "Have you seen Stefan?"

"Not since he left," Scarlett said with a mild frown. "Why?"

"Is he here?" Sarah asked. Without needing to be specifically asked, Scarlett sniffed the air and shook her head. Sarah turned tail and jogged down the hallway with Scarlett behind her. She barged into the study to find Damon working on an old clock in the corner of the room.

"What's with all the commotion?" Damon asked as he glanced over his shoulder from the top of the stepladder.

"Have you seen Stefan since he left to go hunting?" Sarah asked urgently.

"No," Damon said casually.

"I'm worried about him," Sarah said with a worried look to her older brother who sighed tiredly.

"Here's an idea, call him," Damon said in an obvious tone. Admittedly, Sarah felt a little silly for not having thought of that first. She was probably overreacting after all. She knew those squirrels could be a really challenge for Stefan at times and more than likely he was just taking a little longer to get the most out of his meal. But with every ring of the phone, her anxiety jumped up a peg. Then the voicemail picked up.

"He's not answering," Sarah said sharply.

"Then call him again," Damon said before he started hitting something with the hammer in his hand. Sarah did call him again but only got the same result. She tired a couple more times but every time it went straight to voicemail. She then decided to change tactic and called someone else who picked up on the second ring thankfully.

"Elena," Sarah practically cried when she heard the phone answer.

"Hey, Sarah, what's up?"

"Is Stefan with you?"

"No," Elena said slowly.

"Have you had any contact with him in the last hour or so?"

"No," Elena repeated now sounding very concerned. "Sarah, what's going on?" Sarah sighed as Damon hopped off the ladder and walked over to join his sister and her ward.

"Stefan, went out into the woods a while ago and hasn't come back. He's not answering his phone and neither Damon or Scarlett have had any message from him saying he would be late," Sarah explained calmly, though she could practically hear Elena's heartbeat over the phone.

"So what's happened to him?" Elena asked nervously as Sarah looked to Scarlett and then both turned to Damon who had also been listening in on the conversation.

"No one's gonna like what I'm thinking," Damon said slowly with a serious look on his face. Sarah told Elena they'd be around in a few minutes and to keep trying Stefan until they arrived. When they got their, Elena still hadn't been able to get a hold of Stefan. She grabbed her umbrella and rain coat, joining the vampires and werewolf in the car before Damon drove them out into the woods. Once there, Damon and Sarah went alone to a wooden house isolated from the rest of the town, the home of the newly released tomb vampires.

"Pearl!" Damon shouted as he banged on the door. "Open this door right now or I swear to god I'll burst through and rip your head off!" The door opened and there on the other side was Frederick.

"Pearl's not home," he replied calmly while both Damon and Sarah glared at him. "Beautiful weather," he said looking to the grey sky above. "Not a ray of sun in the sky."

"You better hand over my brother, or else my fist will be going up somewhere were the sun don't shine," Sarah growled as she tried to step over the threshold only to be pushed back by an invisible wall. Frederick smirked at her as Damon pulled her back to his side. If anyone was going to be charging in and taking names, it was going to be him. His sister was meant to be the common sense in their partnership, not him.

"I'd do as she says. Trust me, you don't want to get between her and our brother," Damon said warningly with a glare to back it up.

"Billy," Frederick called as he stepped aside. It would have been the perfect chance for Sarah and Damon to charge in, but they still hadn't been invited in. So they were stuck outside as two men dragged Stefan out into the hallway. He was pale, eye blood shot and barely standing. One of the two vampires holding him held up a stake and Sarah eyes narrowed on him. He was going to pay for hurting her brother, they all were. Stefan had obviously been stabbed by the stake multiple times, judging by the tears along his chest and the bloody end of the stake. He was breathing heavily and from the begging looks he was giving Sarah and Damon he was clearly in pain.

"You're dead," Damon snapped as he ran at the door. And while Sarah appreciated the care Damon was showing towards their brother, he fell into the same mistake she did and bounced right off the invisible wall, nearly falling over until Sarah steadied him.

"Whoa. I'm sorry. You haven't been invited in," Frederick said smugly as the two Salvatores glared back at him. "Miss Gibbons?" he called and an older looking woman appeared with visible bite marks all over her body. The poor thing, Sarah thought. They hadn't even bothered to heal her.

"Yes, Frederick, honey?" the old lady said as she looked up to Frederick. If only she'd look her way, then Sarah could compel her to invite her and Damon in.

"Never let these bad people in," Frederick compelled her.

"I'll never let them in," she repeated before looking over to Sarah and Damon with a dazed look. She reminded Sarah of Caroline after Damon had compelled her umpteen times. After so long the human mind began to deteriorate under the continual effects of compulsion, like what was happening to this woman. She'd had so much blood drained and been compelled so many times she probably couldn't even tell you what she had for breakfast that morning, unless you compelled her to answer.

From behind Frederick, Sarah heard Stefan groan in pain. She so badly wanted to go and help him but her stupid vampirism wouldn't let her in the house until the owner invited her in, and that wasn't exactly going to happen anytime soon. "Stefan," Sarah whispered as she watched her brother squirm in pain. She felt Damon's hand on the small of her back and was glad to feel him trying to comfort her. But she wouldn't be okay until they had their brother back.

"145 years left starving in a tomb, thanks to Katherine's infatuation with you two and your brother," Frederick said spiteful as he glared at the brother and sister.

"And I get that, I do. But please don't take it out on my brother. It was Katherine that wronged us all," Sarah pleaded, hoping their hatred of Katherine would provide them with common ground.

"'Wronged all of us?'" Frederick spat as his glare focused on Sarah. Damon stepped in front of her slightly, using his body to defend his sister should Frederick try and pounce. The vampires already had one of his siblings, he wasn't going to let them get another. "You three were out living your lives while we were stuck in that tomb starving. First few weeks, every single nerve in your body screams with fire. The kind of pain that can drive a person mad."

"Yeah, your a prime example of that aren't you," Damon bit back defensively.

"Damon," Sarah warned from behind him. She was loving this new caring side of Damon but now was not the best time for him to start getting defensive of her, particularly when they still had Stefan hostage.

"Well…I thought your brother might want to get a taste of that before I killed him," Frederick said as he recomposed himself. "Billy." With the simple speaking of his name, Billy knew what to do. As it turned out, he was the one holding the stake which he then rammed into Stefan's chest making him scream in pain.

"Stefan!" Sarah cried as she tried to run forwards only to be held back by Damon. She should have known they weren't going to kill him, but she couldn't stop herself from thinking it and was relieved when he grunted in pain and Billy pulled the stake from his chest.

"You have a nice day," Frederick said as he swung the door closed while Sarah and Damon glared at him. Once the door was closed there was little more they could do, so they retreated through the pouring rain back to the road where they'd left Damon's car. Thankfully when they got there Elena and Scarlett were still in the car. Elena was behind the wheel with Scarlett in the passenger side, both ready in case they needed to make a quick get away. When they saw the Salvatores coming, Elena got out the car pulling open an umbrella while Scarlett leaned across into the driver seat so she could listen to the conversation.

"What happened? Where is he?" Elena fired out as Damon and Sarah joined her under the umbrella by the driver side door with Scarlett looking up at them.

"They have him. We can't get in," Damon explained as he gestured back to the house.

"Why not?" Elena snapped.

"Because the woman who owns the house is compelled to not let us in," Sarah answered grudgingly.

"I can get in," Elena said determinedly. She took one step towards the house before Sarah and Damon grabbed an arm each and pushed Elena back. She wasn't entirely sure why Damon was stopping Elena from running in, but she wasn't about to let her brother's girlfriend get herself killed.

"You're not going in there," Sarah said firmly.

"Good thing I'm here then," Scarlett spoke up from inside the car, pushing herself up and ready to get in on the action as her necklace dangled from her neck.

"You're not going in either," Sarah said even more firmly as she turned her stare onto the younger teenager.

"I'm going," Elena said again, more forcefully as she tried to get past the two vampires again before both pushed her back.

"You're not going in there," Damon snapped before Sarah could. She glanced at her brother, hearing the emotion in his voice. She hadn't realised how attached he had gotten to Elena. She probably should have after her went on that day trip to Atlanta with her but she had been preoccupied at the time.

"Why are they doing this? What do they want with him?" Elena asked worriedly.

"I'm guessing revenge," Scarlett said casually as Sarah shot her a silencing look. Elena was worried and Scarlett's attitude wasn't going to be helping her.

"Scrappy's right," Damon agreed oddly enough.

"Well we gotta do something," Elena begged as she looked between the two vampires.

"I know," Damon sighed as he placed his hands on his hips.

"We can't let them hurt him. We gotta get him out of there," Elena said as she tried to run forwards yet again, but Sarah caught her and gently pushed her back against the car along with Damon.

"Elena, we know," Sarah said firmly.

"We know," Damon agreed with a serious look to Elena. "But I don't know how to get him out," Damon said in defeat.

"I'm still here," Scarlett said raising her hand in the air.

"You're not going in there alone," Sarah said as she glanced down at her ward.

"Then I'll go in with her," Elena spoke up.

"No," both Salvatores said firmly at both the human and the werewolf.

"Well then what are we going to do?" Elena demanded.

"Yeah, it's not like you two have any better ideas," Scarlett pointed out as the two vampires glared at her. "Just saying," Scarlett pointed out as she leaned back over into her seat, opening up the driver seat. Then Sarah remembered someone who might just be able to help them. She turned to Elena, the idea showing in her eyes as she bit down on her lips.

"What? Do you have an idea?" Elena asked eagerly, hopefully.

"Possibly…" Sarah said before turning to Damon with a sheepish look. "There's something we should probably tell you."

"What?" Damon said slowly.

"Remember Alaric Saltzman?"

"The teacher I killed?" Damon asked with a lowered brow.

"Yeah…about that." After explaining everything as well as her possible plan, Damon seemed on board. He wasn't too happy about Alaric still being alive, particularly since the man was out to kill him, but he drove them all to the high school nonetheless. Upon arrival Sarah made it clear she was to do most of the talking and he was to remain as quiet as possible. She let Elena and Scarlett come in with them, mostly because Alaric would never hurt them and having them with the two vampires might actually make them seem nicer. That and she didn't trust the two alone in the car in case Elena tried to rescue Stefan without her and Damon. And Scarlett was very likely to go along with her.

Walking through the school corridors, the found Alaric when they rounded the first corner, Elena and Scarlett lagging behind the two vampires. Sensing someone up ahead, Alaric looked up from his bag he was fumbling through and stopped when he saw the familiar faces.

"Well, don't you look…alive?" Damon said as he looked the teacher up and down.

"Damon," Sarah warned harshly before turning back to Alaric with as friendly a smile as she could muster up.

"You can't hurt me," Alaric stated as he glared at Damon.

"And he's not going to," Sarah promised.

"Well-" Damon began right before Sarah cut him off.

"He's not going to hurt you," Sarah repeated, sounding out each syllable so that Damon knew not to break her promise to Alaric. Without him they had no way in so she wasn't going to risk Damon screwing it up with something as minuscule as his personality.

"What do you want?" Alaric asked bluntly as he turned to Sarah, seeing that she was who he was dealing with.

"We need your help," Sarah said with a hopeful look in her eye. He was about to say something when he saw Elena and Scarlett round the corner, making themselves known.

"Hey there, Mr. Saltzman," Scarlett said with a nervous wave and a tight smile.

"Oh God," Alaric mumbled as he brought his hand up to his face, shaking his head at the idea of another one of his students involved in all this. "Look whatever homework question you have it can wait until Monday," Alaric said as he tried to play it off.

"This isn't about homework," Sarah said seriously.

"Yeah, kinda figured it wasn't," Alaric sighed, seeing he wasn't going to be getting out of this.

"Just give us five minutes and then you we'll leave you alone," Elena begged. Alaric stared at her for a moment.

"Please, Mr Saltzman," Scarlett added hopefully with a hopeful look in her eye. She may not be as close to Stefan as Elena or Sarah but he had been nice to her and not many people did that. He also knew her secret and continued to keep it and accept her regardless. So she was going to help, even if it was just asking Alaric for help.

He looked from Scarlett to Elena and then onto the Salvatores. "Fine," he sighed in defeat. "Come on, we'll talk in my classroom," he said before turning and leading them all back into his classroom. Damon took up residence by the window, leaning against the desk by it with Sarah beside him, she wanted to be close in case he tried something stupid. As for Elena she stood in front of Alaric's desk where he was sat and Scarlett was behind Elena leaning against a desk with her arms folded. From there they got him up to speed on everything about the tomb vampires excluding Katherine. They told him about how they got out, took up residence and captured Stefan.

"So now they've got Stefan in the house and Sarah and Damon can't get in cause their vampires," Elena explained despite the fact that Alaric had already deduced this for himself. "We need you. I would go, but-"

Damon cut in. "But your life is valuable." He turned to Alaric and the two locked eyes. "Yours on the other hand is-"

"Damon," Sarah cut him off with a glare. He playfully rolled his eyes while she turned back to Alaric with an apologetic look. "Sorry about him. I know we're asking a lot of you, but with your ring, you can't seem to be killed by vampires. And all we need from you is to go in, bring us the old lady so we can compel her and then we'll handle the rest. All you're really doing is unlocking the door," Sarah explained.

"And why should I 'unlock' any door for him," Alaric said pointedly as he nodded to Damon.

"This isn't about him," Sarah quickly said before Damon could open his mouth.

"Please, Mr Saltzman. It's Stefan," Elena begged.

"I'm sorry guys, but it's not my problem," Alaric said as he stood up from his desk.

"That's a shame," Damon said as he moved from the window and over to join Elena. Sarah wasn't far behind him, ready to run ahead if Damon or Alaric made any sudden moves. "Because the woman in charge of the crowd can help you find your wife." Elena gave him a confused look and Sarah caught Scarlett frowning at Damon from behind. She knew he was lying and she had every intention of playing along.

"You're lying," Alaric said boldly.

"He's not," Sarah spoke up. "She has connections, even now and if your wife's still in the country, she'll be able to find her." Alaric looked over to Sarah, staring at her and looking closely at her eyes, searching for proof that she was lying.

"Alright. I'll go," Alaric finally caved. Sarah smiled thankfully at him, as did Elena. She really did appreciate his help, she just hoped he'd understand why she lied later, but right now her brother was the priority, not Alaric's feelings.

They watched as Alaric pulled out form behind his desk, a bag which he then dropped one the desk. Opening it up he revealed his many weapons that could be used to kill a vampire. Standard wooden stakes turned into daggers, vervain darts and so on. Nothing heavy otherwise he'd have a hard time explaining it to the school board if some student found it.

"Nice toys," Scarlett said as she looked over the table before Alaric and Sarah gave her a look. "Just saying," Scarlett murmured.

"Teacher by day, vampire hunter by night," Damon muttered as the five of them gathered around the desk.

"I've got you to thank for that," Alaric replied with a look to Damon.

"What are these?" Elena asked as she pointed to one of the vervain darts.

"Those are tranquilizer darts filled with vervain," Alaric explained.

"Just get us in, we'll get Stefan out," Damon said as he ran his fingers over the weapons.

"That's your plan? You two are just gonna take them all on by yourselves?" Elena asked, clearly not fond of the plan.

"Well, we'll be a little stealthier than that," Damon said smugly.

"But we probably won't," Sarah sighed right as Elena picked up one of the vervain darts.

"Whoa. What are you doing?" Alaric said as he turned to Elena.

"I'm going with you guys," Elena said obviously.

"No, no, no, no, no way," Damon sang out as he and Sarah turned to Elena while Alaric took back the vervain dart.

"You need me. I'll get in. You could distract them, and then I'll get Stefan out," Elena explained her plan and Sarah sighed beneath her breath. She knew Elena meant well but she going to get in the way and they couldn't protect her and get Stefan at the same time, even if there was two of them.

"That's Alaric's job," Sarah pointed out as she turned to Elena.

"And if you come you'll get yourself killed," Damon added with a pointed look.

"So you're not going," Sarah concluded with a smile that said it was over.

"I'm going," Elena said stubbornly and Sarah's smile dropped to a serious glare.

"So when you get us in, get out as quickly as you can," Damon said to Alaric, continuing on with the conversation as if Elena wasn't even there. "I know how to sneak around where they can't hear me. You'll basically just be in the way."

"You guys can't just do it by yourself," Elena argued as both Salvatores sighed again.

"Fine. Elena, you can drive the getaway car," Damon said with mock enthusiasm. "You're not going in the house."

"You can't stop me. It's Stef-"

"You're right," Sarah cut in as she fully turned to Elena. "We can't stop you. That's why it's her job to keep you in the car," Sarah said pointing to Scarlett who frowned.

"Me?" Scarlett asked pointing to herself as everyone turned, Sarah with a pointed look. "Right…okay," Scarlett then agreed.

"Look," Sarah then continued as Elena looked back to her. "I get it. You love him. But I'm not putting you, or her," she pointed over to Scarlett. "In danger. Me and Damon can't protect you, Elena. There's god knows how many vampires in there and it only takes one of them to break your neck." She paused as she snapped her fingers, "See that? That's you, dead. I get you want to help but you're just getting in our way, so if you really want Stefan back, you'll do what I say." Sarah hand't intended for it to be so harsh but she got her point across, which was all she needed to do. She could make up with Elena once they had Stefan back.

"If we're gonna go, let's go," Alaric said when the silence became to much. He quickly wrapped up his weapons and grabbed the bag before he and Damon led the way out, Elena right behind them. Scarlett was about to follow when Sarah grabbed her arm turning her back around.

"Remember our deal. You do as I say," Sarah said warningly.

"Yeah, I got it," Scarlett replied but Sarah didn't let go.

"I mean it, Scarlett. You stick by Elena and keep her safe."

"I will," Scarlett promised as she nodded her head. Sarah then nodded back before letting her go and the two walked out after the others.

Despite her offer to sit in the back with Elena and Scarlett, Damon made Sarah sit in the front. Or rather he made Alaric sit in the back. Another stupid male power play by her brother. She would have argued with him had Alaric not willingly gotten into the back. As long as he was still onboard for saving Stefan she didn't really care. So they drove back to the woods and parked the car in the same spot. Damon Sarah and Alaric climbed out and while Damon and Alaric ran on ahead, Sara remained behind to give Elena and Scarlett one final warning.

"Now do I need to repeat myself?" Sarah asked the two as she leaned into the car's passenger side where Scarlett was sat with Elena in the driver's seat. The two teenagers glared back at her with folded arms, like the pouting children they were.

"We're not kids you know," Scarlett said bitterly.

"She says to the 161, year old vampire," Sarah pointed out with a raised eyebrow that shut Scarlett up.

"We're not going to leave the car, promise," Elena said with a pointed look to Sarah.

"Alright," Sarah said as she pulled away from the car before closing the door. "You watch her, and you watch her," Sarah ordered pointing from Elena to Scarlett and vice versa. They both mumbled a response before Sarah moved away. She vamp speeded towards the house silently before joining Damon by a tree he was leaning against, hidden from sight. "How's it going?" Sarah asked.

"He's just staked a vamp and turned on the sink. My guess, that doors about to open," Damon said as he nodded over to the side door. Sarah nodded and the two vamp ran over to the small porch at the side of the house, both stood on either side of the door in case someone other than Alaric walked out. The door swung open and thankfully on the other side of the door was Alaric and the owner of the house.

"Oh, I'm sorry. He's not allowed in the house," the woman said politely with a smile as she turned to Alaric.

"I know that. But you've gotta make an exception," Alaric pleaded with the old lady.

"Get her out of the house. Now!" Damon hissed before Alaric gently pushed the woman out onto the porch. "Miss Gibbons, tell me the truth. Are you married?" Damon said while compelling the woman, as he did Alaric and Sarah kept an eye out.

"No."

"Parents, children, anyone else how lives on this property?"

"No. It's just me," she said with a sweet old smile.

"Good," Damon said before grabbing her head and snapping it. Alaric swung back around in time to see the old lady hit the decking as Sarah and Damon climbed over her body and stepped into the house. Sarah managed to get further into the kitchen but the second Damon tried to move Alaric grabbed his arm, pulling him to a stop.

"You were supposed to compel her," he hissed angrily.

"It doesn't work that way," Damon hissed back.

"She's human," Alaric snapped as he pushed Damon only for him to barely even move.

"And I'm not!" Damon snapped back, shoving him.

"You two! Quit it, now!" Sarah hissed at the two as she placed her hands on their chest. The two glared at each other for a moment before parting as Damon went to make sure no one heard them. "Get back to the car and hide the body," Sarah ordered Alaric who glared at her, clearly blaming her just as much as Damon. She didn't care, it was over now, she just needed him to go and make sure Elena and Scarlett didn't do anything stupid.


	21. Storm in the Vampire House

_Review responses:_

Charmedbycharmed: _You called it,_ _congratulations! And yes, Damon is still vying for Elena at the moment. I'm glad you like Damon and Scarlett's relationship, it's fun to write and yet hopefully comes across as different from his relationship with Sarah._

Only reviewer: _Scarlett probably is a death seeker just now, but mostly just wants to learn more about herself and discover her limits as a new_ _supernatural. Scrappy is just a reference to Scooby-Doo that Damon seems to enjoy calling her, probably because he sees her a scrappy surviver as she's managed to wiggle her way into his house. And yeah, it could be a starting point, but as you'll see in this chapter it's not... And never be quiet with your suggestions, I love them, even if it's not what I'm doing in the story. And a thousand apologise about the work out gear. I'll try and keep it casual clothing for the next few chapters ;)_

 _Sorry this ended up taking longer than I thought to finish, but I really enjoyed doing all the action in this one, like I said it's one of my favourite episodes from season one. I'll try and get another chapter too you guys soon since we're now in the last five episodes of season one, and then it's on to season 2! Can't wait for that, epsecially the early stuff in that season with Katherine. I've got so much stuff planned._

 _Thanks also for all the favourites and follows you guys! Seriously the support for this story never ceases to amaze me, thank you all! And don't forget to leave a review, I respond to every one and that's the same for PMs. I just love hearing what you all have to say and it makes my day and encourages me to write more. Hope you all enjoy the latest update to the story and I'll see you later!_

* * *

 **Chapter 21: Storm in the Vampire House**

* * *

Flicking from station to station, a series of different songs filled the car until finally Elena turned the radio off. Scarlett glanced over to Elena finding her glaring at her. With a sigh Scarlett let her hand fall away from the radio dial. She was bored out of her mind. This wasn't what she'd had in mind when she asked to help out with saving Stefan. Playing babysitter to the human wasn't exactly her idea of a good time. Then again her fighting vampires probably wasn't Sarah's idea of a good time. She could see why Sarah wanted to protect her, but she was already involved in the supernatural and she needed practise with her abilities. How else would she learn to protect herself?

When the silence started to bug her, Scarlett looked back over to Elena, finding that she now had a vervain dart in her hand. "What you going to do with that?" Scarlett asked curiously.

"I'm going to save Stefan," Elena said firmly as she held her stare against Scarlett's.

"Thank god, I was starting to think you were actually going to listen to Sarah," Scarlett said as she opened her car door.

"No. You stay here," Elena said protectively as she placed a hand on Scarlett before she could get out.

"Look. Sarah, told me to stay with you and protect you. So we can Both stay here, or we can Both go and save Stefan," Scarlett said firmly. It didn't take long for Elena to reach a decision.

* * *

Back in the house, Sarah could hear two vampires approaching the kitchen. Across from her was Damon, who nodded, asking if she was ready. Sarah nodded back, firmly gripping the stake in her hand. The two vampires entered the kitchen, quickly turning off the blender and sink that Alaric had put on to cover their earlier conversation. When the first vampire turned back around, Damon got in front of him and staked him in the chest, covering his mouth before he could scream out. The second gasped and was about to spring on Damon when Sarah came up behind him. Her free hand wrapped around his mouth first and the second forced the stake into his back and then into his heart. The two vampires' skin turned grey and gently Damon and Sarah lowered them to the ground as they pulled out their stakes.

Since it was too risky to speak, they merely nodded in approval at each other before stepping out into the hallway. Seeing it was clear the two vamp speeded silently down the hallway to the stairs and then ran down two at a time before reaching the basement.

* * *

Outside the house, Scarlett hopped over the railing and onto the porch with Elena behind her. Both crouched and followed the wall around to the side of the house, being careful not to be seen. Every now and then, Scarlett would sniff the air to make sure that no Vampires were coming their way. She caught pieces of conversation going on inside the house, from the sound of things they had no idea Damon and Sarah had arrived. That would make things easier for them as well.

Elena tapped her shoulder and Scarlett looked over to see her pointing to a gate that lead to a set of stairs descending into the ground. Another entrance to the basement were they assumed Stefan was being kept. Scarlett nodded to Elena before they both made their way down the stairs to a locked door. Trying the door, Scarlett found it locked. She looked back to Elena who shrugged, not sure what to do.

With no other option, Scarlett slammed her elbow into the glass of the window, breaking it open. She paused, listening in case someone had heard but when she heard no sudden movements she assumed they were good. She reached in and unlocked the door before she and Elena crept inside. Up ahead was a turn and when Scarlett looked around she found a vampire sat at the other end. She half wondered how he hadn't heard her smash the window, then she noticed the ear phones in his ears.

"There's a vampire around the corner," Scarlett whispered to Elena.

"What do we do?" Elena whispered back. Well if it was just Scarlett she could try and overpower him with her werewolf strength, but Elena would see…plus there was a good chance the vamps upstairs would hear her. "Wait," Elena said in sudden realisation. Scarlett waited for her to explain and then she lifted up the vervain dart. Scarlett grinned at her.

"I'll get his attention. You stab him when he's close enough," Scarlett whispered and Elena nodded.

Stepping out around the corner, Scarlett made herself known to the vampire who looked up. With a confused look on his face he got up and started to walk over to her. Through her peripheral, Scarlett could see that Elena was stood ready with the vervain dart raised while remaining out of sight. But then when the vampire was about halfway down the hallway he sudden dropped down, with a dart in his neck. Then Sarah and Damon stepped into the hallway and turned to see Scarlett and Elena, who had come out at the sound of the vampire hitting the floor.

"Are you insane?" Damon hissed.

"You're both in so much trouble," Sarah added with a glare.

* * *

Sarah couldn't believe either of them. Then again she really should have see it coming after everything they'd both said. Elena was never going to just sit on the side lines and Scarlett wanted to get in on the action, regardless of her safety. If anything this only proved Sarah really did need to start teaching Scarlett how to fight, it would be risky to let her run into fights like this with no idea what she was doing.

"We can explain," Scarlett whispered with her hands held up.

"Well it better be a damn good one," Sarah hissed at the two before sighing. "But it'll have to wait, come on," Sarah said before nodding for the two to follow. If they were going to wondering about then it would be better if they were at least with Damon and Sarah. Besides, they could help with Stefan…though it would have been easier if it was just her and Damon. But there was no sense in wasting time on pointless wishes. They continued on into the main part of the basement where Stefan was being held. He lifted his head upon hearing them enter and instantly spotted Elena.

"Elena… You shouldn't be here…" Stefan murmured as Sarah and Elena ran to him. Sarah reached for the ropes holding her brother up from the celling only to feel her skin burn and quickly pull her hands away. "Ver-Vervain…on the ropes," Stefan panted as Sarah shook her healing hands.

"Elena, Scarlett, get the ropes," Sarah ordered.

"Looks like it's a good thing we came," Scarlett said with a smug look to Sarah as she passed her.

"Your still in trouble," Sarah replied making Scarlett's smile drop as she helped Elena untie Stefan. Sarah turned back to see another vampire in a chair opposite Stefan. He had his hands tied behind the back of the chair and his legs both had wooden stakes in them. Damon was about to finish him off when Stefan spoke up.

"No…no. Not him," Stefan panted as Sarah caught him.

"Whatever," Damon groaned as he put away his stake. "Cloths," Damon said as he grabbed Stefan's cloths and threw the over to Sarah who caught them, only to them shove them off to Elena when she was close enough.

"Wait," Stefan said before they could get him out.

"What?" both Damon and Sarah hissed, not sure why he was stopping them.

"We have to help him," Stefan said nodding to the other vampire.

"He's not our problem," Sarah hissed but Elena was already pulling one of the stakes from his leg. Scarlett looked to Sarah, waiting for the go ahead. Eventually she nodded. Scarlett pulled the second stake and threw it aside. "Right, he's free, now come on," Sarah ordered as Damon took the lead with Elena and Scarlett while Sarah and Stefan brought up the rear.

"Elena," Sarah called when they got into the hallway they'd all met up in. Elena turned back and walked over to Sarah, taking Stefan from her. When it was clear he was too much for her, Sarah nodded for Scarlett to come and help, taking his other side. "You two, get him out of here and to the car."

"What about you and Damon?" Elena asked as she and Scarlett shared worried looks.

"You rescue, we'll distract. Go," Damon ordered bluntly before he made his way up the stairs. Sarah nodded for the girls to get moving and then followed her brother. They dashed up the stairs silently stopping behind her brother at the top of the stairs. He peered around the corner, pulling out his stake as Sarah did the same. He looked back and held up two fingers, indicating two vampires before gesturing for Sarah to look. She crouched down, peering around Damon's waist to see one vampire in the doorway to another room and a second watching the front door.

"You get the one by the front door, I got the other one," Damon whispered. Sarah nodded before they both moved. Damon went first, throwing the stake into the back of the first vampire as he and Sarah ran by as silent as a shadow. Damon then dashed into the kitchen as Sarah threw her stake at the second vampire before following her brother. They heard both vampires hit the floor before Frederick started dishing out orders.

Once the vampires had spread out, Damon nodded to Sarah and she nodded back. Both moved out of the kitchen finding Frederick in the hallway. Damon rushed him, ramming into him and shoving him against the wall while Sarah retrieved her stake from the dead vampire. When she looked back to her brother she found him and Frederick rushing from side to side as they banged off against the wall like they were in a pinball machine.

Finally Damon got a lucky hit in and knocked Frederick to the floor where Damon pinned him down. Seeing two vampires coming up behind him, Sarah ran past him, throwing the stake into one of the vampire's chest while she fought the other one. He started off the fight by throwing a few punches her way, all of which Sarah managed to deflect before landing a kick into his groin. The vampire hunched over as Sarah grabbed his head only to then bring it down into her knee before letting him stumble backwards.

Then turning back around to help Damon, Sarah found three vampires had emerged from a room between them, separating them. One ran at her while the other two pulled Damon from Frederick. Sarah was ready for the vampire but she'd forgotten about the one behind her who grabbed her, pulling her hands behind her back. For a good few seconds the vampire advancing on her got some strong vampire powered punches in making Sarah cringe in pain. Finally she flipped back kicking the vampire back while forcing the one behind her to stumble, pulling her with him. She flicked her head back, catching the vampire's nose and then pulled herself free before slamming her elbow backwards into his face.

While the vampire groaned in pain, Sarah swung her leg out behind her and twirled with it, kicking out the vampires legs as he flopped down on the floor. She then lifted her arm and swung it down into the downed vampire's chest before grabbing onto his heart. Holding on tightly, she pulled the heart and watched as the life left the vampire's eyes before throwing aside the blooded organ that remained.

She turned back, expecting the second vampire to attack her but instead found him heading for Damon, stake in hand.

"Damon!" Sarah shouted right as a shot sounded through the air. The vampire advancing on Damon dropped on to the floor, vervain dart sticking out his back as Damon turned around looking stunned. Sarah looked back to find Alaric not far behind her, rifle in hand.

"I'm going after Frederick!" Damon declared as he ran off into another room. Sarah watched him go before she looked back to Alaric. He stared at her a moment before motioning her to go after him. She gave him a thankful nod before running after her brother at vamp speed.

* * *

Seeing the car up ahead, Scarlett sighed with relief. She could handle Stefan's weight easily but pretending it was hard was a lot of effort, particularly since Elena didn't know her secret. She tried to hurry them along but Elena clung to Stefan so much that they could only go as fast as she'd allow. Ironically she was probably going as fast as she could. Scarlett couldn't help but think how easy it would be to pick Stefan up and carry him by herself, but she couldn't with Elena around. Having a secret really sucked at times.

"Come on, it's right over here," Elena murmured to Stefan as they approached the car.

"Get him in the passenger seat," Scarlett ordered as Elena opened up the side door before Scarlett shove him inside. While Elena straightened him out, making him comfortable. Scarlett sniffed around, making sure they hadn't been folded. She caught the odd whiff of vampire but she assumed that was just coming from the house. Nothing was standing out so she turned back as Elena closed the passenger door and the two made their way around to the other side.

"Alright, get in," Elena said as she opens the door, motioning for Scarlett to get in the back.

"I'm not leaving without Sarah," Scarlett said as she stood her ground.

"Scarlett," Elena said pleadingly before Scarlett continued.

"You need to get Stefan out of here now go," Scarlett said as she grabbed Elena's arm and shoved her towards the car. Not so reluctantly, Elena got in the car as Scarlett closed the door. She was just about to run off back to the house to help Sarah when she heard Elena gasp from inside the car. Kneeling down so her eyes were level with Elena's through the window Scarlett asked, "What's wrong?"

"The ignition's gone," Elena exclaimed right as Scarlett's nose tensed. She looked up just as a blur moved over to the passenger side of the car. Before she could react the sound of smashing glass filled the air as Stefan was pulled from the car and flung across the forest floor.

"Stefan!" Elena cried as Frederick ran over to Stefan, landing several heavy kicks to his chest before pulling him up and producing a stake. Seeing the weapon deadly to him, Scarlett finally ran around the car as Elena climbed out. She raced towards the two vampires but before she could reach them Frederick rammed the stake into Stefan's chest twice.

"This is for Beth-Anne. And this is for the tomb. And this is-" Scarlett tackled Frederick aside, shoving him away from Stefan as the injured vampire collapsed on the ground. Out of the corner of her eye, Scarlett saw Elena running to Stefan, removing the stake as Scarlett and Frederick climbed back up to their feet. "Who the hell are you?" Frederick growled as his vampire features came out.

"I'm the big, bad, wolf," Scarlett growled as her own werewolf features came out. Her eyes turned golden, her canines formed in her mouth as did her claws with patches of extra hair growing all over her body. Frederick seemed generally shocked for a moment but when Scarlett growled he snapped out of it. She charged at him, swinging her claws for Frederick as he stepped aside before landing a solid punch to her side. She flew from the ground hitting a tree truck and collapsing on the ground as Frederick ran over to her. Before she could recover, Frederick had his hand around her throat, squeezing tightly while careful to keep himself out of bitting range.

Scarlett snarled at him, snapping her teeth before stabbing Frederick in his chest with her claws. He hissed in pain as he staggered back before releasing Scarlett. Again she pounced at him, digging her claws into his shoulders as they dropped down to the floor. Now on top, she growled at his face, snapping her teeth at him before suddenly she found herself beneath him as he landed punch after punch into her face.

She threw her claw at Frederick but he caught it before twisting her arm and pulling. Her arm dislocated and the cracking sound filled the air. Scarlett screamed in pain, clutching her arm as Frederick removed himself from atop her body. "Never killed a werewolf before," Frederick said with a smirk as he pulled Scarlett up into a sitting up position, getting ready to snap her neck once and for all.

* * *

Back in the house, Sarah and Damon couldn't find any trace of Frederick. They'd taken out a couple more vampires while moving through the house but still hand't found Frederick. "Damn it!" Damon snapped as he flipped a kitchen chair over. "Where the hell is he!"

"Maybe he left a trail outside," Sarah suggested. Damon didn't say anything. He just opened the side door and ran out side. Sarah was about to follow when she heard a commotion from the hallway. She ran back in at vamp speed to find Alaric pinned against the wall with a vampire digging his fangs into his neck. Sarah didn't hesitate in racing over, grabbing the vampire and throwing him into the opposite wall.

When she saw Alaric was alright, bar the bite mark on his neck, Sarah ran at the vampire and slammed her knee into his chest. He hit the wall again and Sarah followed through with an elbow to his throat, watching him lose breath as he stumbled forwards. Sarah then grabbed one of his arms, twisting it behind his back before forcing him towards Alaric right as the hunter came at the vampire with a vervain dart. He stabbed the dart into the vampire's chest and the next second he went limp in Sarah's arms before she dropped him on the floor.

"Thanks," Alaric said genuinely as he rubbed the bite on his neck.

"You saved my brother. I owed you one," Sarah explained simply before turning as Damon ran back into the room.

"Frederick's gone," he declared angrily.

"It's fine, we got Stefan, that's what matters," Sarah pointed out as Damon sighed, though she could see the agreement in his eyes.

"Let's get out of here," Alaric said, eager to get this night over with.

"I'm gonna kill him," Damon growled as he turned to the door pulling it open. The three then walked out only to stop on the porch when they saw tens of vampires coming at the them from all sides.

"How many of those vervain darts do you have left?" Damon asked as he looked past Sarah to Alaric who was on her other side.

"One," Alaric sighed as he held up his last weapon.

"Not gonna be enough," Damon groaned as his blue eyes scanned the dark forest and the advancing vampires that had them surrounded.

"I don't suppose you're up for sacrificing yourself while we get away?" Sarah asked as she turned to Alaric who shot her a glare. "Yeah, didn't think so," Sarah said as the three retreated back into the house, closing the door behind them.

* * *

Elena stared in shock, awe and horror as Scarlett transformed before her. She heard Scarlett roar like a wild animal before charing at Frederick with supernatural speed. It didn't make any sense to her. She knew Scarlett wasn't a vampire, but then what they was she? Some kind of monster? The way her face had transformed and hair had started to grow all over made Elena what to turn away in disgust but the sight was so shocking she couldn't look away.

Watching Scarlett and Frederick going back and forth, she briefly thought Scarlett might actually be able to win until she saw Frederick get the upper hand. Elena knew Scarlett needed help, but what could she do against a vampire. She had no stakes or vervain darts and wasn't whatever Scarlett was. She needed to do something but she just didn't know what!

"Stefan," Elena said turning back to her boyfriend who was lying on the ground. She'd pulled the stake form his chest but he was still healing and blood was still running from his mouth, a look of unimaginable pain across his face. "Stefan. Stefan, you need to help Scarlett. Stefan, please! Stefan, please get up! Scarlett can't beat him alone!" Elena cried as she gently shook Stefan's shoulders, trying to get him to talk to her.

Behind her the fight continued as Scarlett and Frederick fought for control. She needed to help him but didn't know how. She ran through everything she knew about Stefan, his strengths his weaknesses and then it dawned on her. "Here," Elena said holding out her wrist to Stefan. For a moment he just stared at the veins on her wrist before looking up and shaking his head with a fear filling his eyes.

"Please," Elena begged desperately. "Stefan, you need blood. Please, please drink. I want you to, I give you permission. Just drink," Elena pleaded as she held her wrist right up to his lips, letting him know that she was serious. A sudden crack from behind caused Elena to look over only for her to gasp when she saw Scarlett clutching her dislocated arm, Frederick standing over her.

"Stefan, you have to drink my blood. Now. If you don't he's going to kill Scarlett! Please, Stefan!" Elena cried still holding her wrist to his mouth but he refused to take her blood, his eyes trembling with tears as he considered it. She ran her other hand down his face, smiling softly at him as she looked him in the eye. "I trust you." He stared into her eyes for a moment longer, before then bitting into her wrist.

* * *

"So, what you said to get me to do this, about my wife. It was a lie, wasn't it?" Alaric asked as he, Damon and Sarah stared at the front door. After retreating back inside the house they'd locked all the doors and returned to the front hallway to find the front door was about to be knocked down. They all got into fighting stances as the vampires outside banged against the doors, getting closer and closer to breaking it down.

"Yep," Damon said simply.

"I'm sorry," Sarah said as she and Alaric shared a look. He knew she meant it and could he really blame her, she'd just been trying to save her brother and he hadn't exactly been willing before his wife was mentioned. It still hurt him though to know he'd been played, but with the way things were looking, he wasn't going to have to live with that feeling for too long.

"Stop!" They heard from outside. The recognisable voice of Pearl in all her fury. Sarah and Damon shared a worried look as the banging stopped and the door unlocked. When only Pearl and Anna stepped through, Damon and Sarah relaxed a little but Alaric remained ready.

"What's going on here? What did you do?" Pearl demanded as she looked around, seeing all the dead vampires lying around her home.

"What did we do?" Damon snapped as he stepped forwards. "Your merry little band of vampires spent the day torturing our brother," Damon growled as he waved his hand between himself and Sarah, all while glaring at Pearl.

"Trust me. The parties responsible for this will be dealt with," Pearl said seriously as she looked down a little shamefully. She hand't wanted it to be like this, she had wanted order and control, for this place to be their new home. She wanted peace, not a pointless war.

"Trust you? Yeah right," Sarah snorted as she folded her arms, hitting Pearl with a critical look as Damon stepped up to the older vampire, closing the gap between them.

"And our little arrangement doesn't work unless you learn to control them," Damon added threatening as he pointed his left over stake at Pearl.

"This wasn't supposed to happen," Pearl said quietly.

"Well, it did," Damon snapped. "If I had a good side… Not a way to get on it," Damon snarled before stepping in between Pearl and Anna, heading for the front door with Alaric and Sarah behind him. He stepped out, along with Alaric but Sarah lingered a moment before looking back at the mother and daughter.

"Stay away from my family…and that includes Scarlett. You may be older, but push me far enough and I don't care how old you are. I will kill you," Sarah warned both the vampires before exiting the house closing the door behind her. She felt Anna's glare until the last second but Pearl was too ashamed to argue or even threaten Sarah back. She had failed.

* * *

"Say bye bye, bitch," Frederick snarled with a grin as he got ready to snap Scarlett's neck only to find himself suddenly thrown against a tree. He blinked and then found Stefan in front of him, his vampire features flaring as he hissed at Frederick. Scarlett looked up from the ground as Stefan pinned him against the tree. She'd never seen Stefan like this before. He almost seemed…like a monster.

Frederick managed to force Stefan back and then tackled him at vamp speed before the two started to roll around. Scarlett forced herself to sit up, groaning in pain as she clutched her dislocated arm. It wasn't healing fast enough, she had to speed things up. "Scarlett," Elena gasped as she dropped down next to her, going to hug before suddenly stopping, unsure if she should.

"Elena. I need you to push my shoulder back in," Scarlett instructed, gritting her teeth to stop the pain sounding in her voice.

"Scarlett, I-I-I-" Elena stammered.

"Elena, just do it…please." Elena stared at her for a moment before taking a deep breath and grabbing Scarlett's arm and shoulder. Scarlett nodded before closing her eyes and bracing herself. She tightened her jaw and a second later she felt a sharp pain shoot through her arm. She managed to hold in the scream but a a loud groan erupted from inside her as Elena let her go.

"Scarlett?" Elena said in concern.

"I'm good…I'm good," Scarlett said slowly as she felt her supernatural healing do the rest. She flexed her fingers, feeling the last of the pain fade away. Then hearing the fight escalate, Scarlett and Elena looked over to see Stefan and Frederick back on their feet, fighting over a sharp branch they'd gotten their hands on. "I've got to help him," Scarlett said as she jumped up to her feet, only to have Elena grab her hand and hold her back. Scarlett's head snapped back around to see the worried and frightened look in Elena's eyes as she looked up from the forest floor.

"What are you?" And now another person knew her secret, but she couldn't worry about that now, not when Stefan needed her help. Or so she thought until she turned around to find Stefan stabbing Frederick violently with the sharp branch. Only he was already dead. His skin had turned grey and his veins were thick with lifeless eyes that stared at nothing in particular. And yet Stefan was still stabbing him, his vampire features showing off his anger as he growled.

"Stefan," Scarlett called as she and Elena approached him. If he did hear her, he didn't show it. He just kept stabbing Frederick over and over again.

"Stefan. Stefan," Elena said worriedly as she walked ahead of Scarlett, reaching for her suddenly animal like boyfriend. Scarlett was about to caution her to step back when Elena lay her hand on Stefan's shoulder. He swung around to face Elena, the full extent of his vampire features showing now. The murderous blood filled eyes, the elongated furious fangs and the animal like sound coming from his throat.

He reached for Elena who jumped back, his mouth opening as he hissed, ready to bite into Elena's neck and have another drink of her delicious blood. "Stefan!" Elena cried as she tried to get away but he'd already grabbed onto her arms, pulling her in towards him. She yelled his name again but Stefan didn't hear, the beast inside him had taken over. He would have bitten her as well, had Scarlett not ran in and shoved him back with her supernatural strength. Stefan stumbled back hissing at Scarlett and Elena before Scarlett growled back, letting her werewolf features out.

In that moment she seemed to get through to Stefan, maybe in a primal sense. She wasn't sure. But however it happened, Stefan suddenly realised what he was doing. He stepped back, his face returning to normal as he looks towards both Elena and Scarlett with a frightened and hurt look. What had he done? He lowered his head shamefully and stepped away again as Scarlett looked back to make sure Elena was okay. Other than the trembling and shock of Stefan turning on her, she seemed to be okay. But Stefan was going to be a whole other story.

* * *

"Are you sure your okay?" Sarah asked as she lifted Scarlett's chin, lowering her own head so she could look at the healing marks on her neck. Frederick had gotten a pretty good hold on her and the marks his fingers had left behind where stealing healing from the fight. "Those look pretty nasty."

"I already told you, I'm fine," Scarlett growled playfully as she pushed Sarah's hand away and lowered her chin, smirking back at Sarah. "Besides, shouldn't you be all over your brother right now. He did take blood from Elena after all. Thought you'd be congratulating him or teasing him, or whatever."

"Hey," Sarah quickly cut in, grabbing onto Scarlett's neck head and pulling her towards her slightly. "Don't think for a second you're not as important as my brothers. You matter to me." Scarlett smiled softly at that and Sarah grinned in response before standing up from the couch in the living room. "Now come on," Sarah said as she pulled Scarlett up onto her feet. "I've got something I want to show you."

Sarah led Scarlett up the stairs and to the room she'd perviously been using for training. She opened the door and pushed Scarlett in who looked around the room with a frown as she stepped in. It wasn't exactly anything impressive, just a couple of punching bags in an old room that hadn't been used in years.

"I know it's not anything special but it'll do for training you." Scarlett turned around to find Sarah smirking.

"You're going to train me?" Scarlett said a little amazed.

"Well if tonight proved anything it's that you're not going to avoid trouble. And you were a big help. If it wasn't for you, Elena might have died." Scarlett smiled, slightly proud. "That said, you still got incredibly lucky in fighting Frederick and as far as I'm concerned you have a long way to go until you're up to my level."

"Yeah, can we just get to my training and skip the lecture?" Scarlett asked with a careless glance to Sarah who raised her eyebrows.

"Alright. First rule…" Sarah then swung her foot out, kicking out Scarlett's feet from under her and forcing her to the ground with a thud. "Always be ready," Sarah said smugly as Scarlett groaned from the ground.

"I'm starting to get why your brothers find you annoying," Scarlett groaned as she sat up. Sarah chuckled before grabbing Scarlett's hand and helping her up. She was about to continue the lesson, no time like the precent, when suddenly Scarlett's phone started to ring. Stepping back, Sarah gestured for Scarlett to answer the phone and the girl did.

"Hey, Jeremy, what's-" Scralett stopped and her facial expression widened suddenly as she turned to Sarah. With a frown Sarah started to listen in only hearing "She's dead. Vicki's dead." With her own eyes widening, Sarah told Scarlett to keep talking to him while she ran up to Stefan's room to find Stefan and Elena talking.

"Sorry," Sarah said after running in. "But there's something you guys need to know."

"What is it?" Stefan asked as he and Elena turned towards her.

"They've found Vicki's body."

"Oh God," Elena gasped as her hand covered her mouth. "I…I have to go," Elena said turning to Stefan who nodded.

"It's okay, go. We can talk later," Stefan said as Elena nodded frantically back before running from the room. It was only once she was out the room and halfway down the stairs that Sarah turned to her brother with a questionably look.

"You alright?" Sarah asked, smugness sneaking into her voice as she began to grin.

"Yeah…yeah…" Stefan said as he turned away, running his hand across his mouth.

"Really? You sure?" Sarah said as she stepped towards her brother.

"Y-Y-Yes…" Stefan said slowly as he felt his body tense, trying his hardest to stay in control.

"Okay. So I suppose you're not all that hungry then?" Stefan looked over at his sister, now standing right behind him. Glaring at her. "No cravings, no tingling in the teeth, no itchy veins?" Sarah teased.

"N…No…" Stefan said slowly as he took a calming breath, struggling to stay in control now.

"Okay," Sarah said knowingly. "If you need me I'll be down stairs with Scarlett." Sarah never stopped smiling as she sauntered from the room, shooting Stefan one last smug look before heading down the stairs, leaving a twitchy and blood thirsty Stefan behind. Now she was getting somewhere.

* * *

After knocking on the door Scarlett was greeted by Jenna who opened the front door to the Gilbert house. She smiled sadly at the teenager before gesturing for her to come inside. Scarlett smiled that same smile back and stepped inside. "Jeremy's up stairs," Jenna said quietly and Scarlett nodded in thanks before heading up the stairs to Jeremy's room.

To her surprise she actually knocked on the door before stepping inside closing the door behind her as Jeremy turned to face her. "Hey, Scarlett," Jeremy said with a sad look. It was no secret that Jeremy had been friends with Vicki. During his stoner days he'd hung out with her a lot and developed a relationship with her. True after he quiet they'd grown apart but her death still hurt him like it had for everyone that knew Vicki. Even Scarlett felt a little bad, though she'd known for a while now that she was dead. But seeing Jeremy's sad eyes all she wanted was to make him smile.

"How you feeling?" Scarlett asked as she made her way over to join Jeremy on his bed. He was sat crosslegged at the head of the bed where Scarlett sat down next to him, stretching her legs out in front of her. She placed her hand on his instinctively and neither of them reacted to it, in fact Jeremy tightened his hold on her hand.

"Sad, I guess," Jeremy admitted before sighing. "No…actually I don't know what I'm feeling. I'm…I'm confused," Jeremy said as he ran his free hand over his face.

"What do you need me to do?" Scarlett asked as she sat up on her knees and moved in front of Jeremy' taking both his hands in hers.

"Just…I don't…" Jeremy tried to say but he didn't know what he really wanted. Scarlett could see he was conflicted by the storm of emotions inside and she could only think of one thing to calm him down. Maybe it was more for herself than him. After hearing about Vicki's death it suddenly made the world a whole lot more real to her. Having remembered it after turning, it had felt like remembering a dream, but now it was confirmed and all those feels she remembered having were resurfacing. She could have died tonight, just like Vicki had. She'd fought a vampire and Stefan and had only just come out the other side. It was a good thing Sarah was now training her to fight but what if she had died. What if she never got to see Jeremy again, let him know how she really felt. She needed a distraction and so did he.

Scarlett let go of Jeremy's hands, cupping his face as she leaned in and pressed her surprisingly soft lips to his. At first Jeremy pulled away and a pang of hurt hit Scarlett as her eyes searched his confused stare. Then he grabbed onto her and pulled her onto him, pressing their lips together again. He let himself fall backwards, Scarlett landing on top of her. Their lips continued to move as one and they began to make out, only coming up for air every minute or so. All they need was each other and they couldn't care less about everything else around them in that moment. In fact Scarlett was so distracted by her intense make-out session with Jeremy that neither she nor Jeremy noticed Anna on the other side of the window. Watching them. With a sad look in her eye and the formation of a tear in the corner.

* * *

Back in the Salvatore house, Damon was ascending the stairs to Stefan's room when he noticed a blood bag on the stairs. He stared at it a moment before continuing up and opening the door to Stefan's room. Upon stepping, he found even more blood bags lining the tables and scattered across the floor. He frowned a little as he continued into the room, stepping around the couch to find his brother and sister on the floor.

"It's alright, Stefan. It's going to be just fine," Sarah said as she ran her hand through Stefan's hair while he sucked at a blood bag like a baby would suck from a milk bottle. When they both noticed Damon's present, they looked up, Stefan pulling his mouth from blood bag, revealing his blood stained mouth. Damon stared at his brother as Sarah continued to say soothing things to him, running her hand over his head and neck reassuringly. When the blood bag emptied, he threw it aside and Sarah handed him another, smiling softly at her brother who needed her. This is what she wanted, for her brother to embrace who he really was. And now that he had, she could help him get control of his problem and she'd be one step closer to brining her family back together. Hopefully for good this time.


	22. Under Control

_Review responses:_

Only reviewer: _Yeah, it's a busy time for Sarah. And that's four people that now know Scarlett's secret now, which is Sarah, Stefan, Jeremy and Elena._ _And I know canon wise, the vampire diaries cast don't know about the killer werewolf bite yet, but I find it hard to believe no other vampires knew of it. I know werewolves are rare in the universe at this point because a lot of them were apparently hunted down and killed, but I imagine some Vampires still knew of them and their bites. Like Katherine knew I'm pretty sure, so I believe Pearl knew too and possibly Anna and Fredrick. But if you don't like that, then you can think of Fredrick was avoiding Scarlett's bites just for good defensive reasons._ _And as for Scarlett's transformation without a full moon, that's because of her necklace that was her mother's at one point. It's not been explained why it allows her to transform._

 _Thanks also for all the new favourites and follows you guys! And don't forget to leave a review, I respond to every one and that's the same for PMs. I just love hearing what you all have to say and it makes my day and encourages me to write more. Hope you all enjoy the latest update to the story and I'll see you later!_

* * *

 **Chapter 22: Under Control**

* * *

Stefan finally drinking blood again was one thing. Playing music at ear breaking volumes at seven in the morning, now Sarah had a problem with that. She'd spent the last hour with a pillow over her head trying to get some sleep after a late night on the town, drinking blood. It had been the third night she'd done it in a row, hoping Stefan would join her. Sadly though, he'd been avoiding blood like the plague since the night he drank.

Every time she brought it up he'd ended up snapping at her. It probably wasn't helping that she was teasing and taunting him relentlessly, but she just needed him to drink again, to prove to him that he could control it with her help. Unfortunately she hadn't anticipated him getting revenge on her with loud workout music, while the floorboards over head creaked out of tune. Sarah tried to focus on something else, anything, to drown out the irritating noises but it was useless.

"Sarah!" From beneath her pillow, Sarah rolled her eyes. Just what she needed at this time in the morning, a pissed off werewolf. Hearing her bedroom door open, Sarah rolled her head to the side to see Scarlett leaning against the door frame, dressed in underwear and a tank top with a tired glare across her face.

"Tell your brother to keep it down. Otherwise, I start bitting him," Scarlett growled tiredly. An empty threat, or so Sarah hoped.

"Oh, the little brat's got a bark," Damon said as he slid in between Scarlett and the door frame. A glass of blood in on hand and a smug smirk on his face. "Can't wait to see her bite."

Sarah watched as her ward shot Damon a glare before rolling her head back towards Sarah. "Tell him to shut up too while your at it," Scarlett added dryly as she turned out of the room and made her way back along to her room, leaving Sarah to deal with Damon.

Her brother made a gesture for her to get up and then said, "Come with me." Like Scarlett he turned out of the room and began to walk off. With a roll of the eyes Sarah threw off her blankets and pillow before vamp speeding out the room and up to Damon's side, falling into step beside him as they walked through the house.

"Since you love dealing with Stefan's drinking problems, I'm going to let you take point with this," Damon said as they headed for the stairs, sipping his blood as they went.

"Translation, you can't be bothered dealing with him," Sarah said with a raised eyebrow to her brother. He looked over to her with a grin, tapping his nose with his free hand.

"Correct, Sister. Blood?" Damon offered, holding the glass out towards her.

"Cheers," said Sarah dryly as she snatched the glass from her brother, taking a swing of blood before handing the half empty glass back over to her brother. Nothing like some fresh blood to wake a vampire up in the morning. The brother and sister ascended the stairs up to Stefan's room, the music getting louder with each step.

"Could you turn it up a little bit? It's not annoying yet," Damon shouted over the roar of the music as he and Sarah walked into their brother's room, finding him to be in the middle of a set of pull ups. He was using the wooden beam over head and dressed in sweats. Sarah guessed he hadn't been sleeping a lot. He rarely did when he was in one of his detoxing moods.

"Sorry," Stefan grunted as he dropped down to the floor and quickly got started on a set of push ups. Anything keep his mind off the blood.

While Sarah watched her brother torture himself with extreme exercise, Damon walked over to the speaker system and flicked the machine off. With the music gone, Sarah could finally hear herself think again and sighed in relief.

"When are you going back to school?" Damon asked as he walked back to join his sister who was standing over Stefan. She had to admit she did enjoy seeing Stefan push himself like this. It always made it fun when he fell back down and came crawling to her for a hit of blood. Lexi was never happy about it but that was why she'd take Sarah away on a 'holiday' whenever Stefan was trying to get himself off blood. Like Sarah, Leix hadn't agreed with Stefan's blood free diet but she helped him where she could. Unlike Sarah who was determined to prove Stefan wrong.

"Soon," Stefan grunted from the floor.

"Why do you do this to yourself?" Sarah sighed as she watched her brother, sadly shaking her head. It was almost like he were a child, trying to fight the fact that they were going to grow up. He was just fighting the inevitable.

Taking the blood from her brother, Sarah took a mere two steps before squatting down in front of Stefan. Sensing the blood, he hesitated, locking his arms as his eyes moved up to Sarah. Or rather the blood she was holding.

Then his eyes flicked back down and he went back to his push ups. Sarah smirked, knowing she had his attention, even if he was trying to ignore her. "Come on, Stefan. Just have a little," said Sarah as she slowly waved the glass beneath his nose. Another moment of hesitation before continuing with his work out.

"Can you get that away from me please?" Stefan asked as he pressed on. Sarah rolled her eyes. She hated how stubborn he could be about blood.

She didn't move it away. Instead she placed it down on the ground. Right beneath Stefan's face. With each bend of his arms he lowered himself back down towards the blood. At first he just caught a whiff of it. Then he started to smell it. Then he began to sniff it, taking in the tempting fumes to the point that he could almost taste it.

Sarah could see the struggle going on inside him. It don't matter that he was trying to hide it from her, make it look like he hadn't even noticed. His sister could see it.

Finally he broke. As he came back down, he rolled onto his side. In that moment Sarah could see the restraint in his face. The sweaty droplets starting to form and the heavy breathing while blood seeped into his eyes. He wanted it.

But rather than give in he swiped the blood away with his hand, sending the glass sliding across the floor and towards Damon who stopped it with the side of his foot. Not a single drop spilled out the glass.

"Stop it!" Stefan snarled as he looked up at his sister who was still crouched over him. She merely smiled at him before standing. She then walked over to Damon, picking up the glass of blood from the floor. Lifting it to her lips, she smiled smuggle at her brother, before taking a long sip, leaving behind a red smear as she lowered the glass. Sarah made sure the pleasure of the taste sounded in her voice as she hummed in delight. When she glanced back over at Stefan, he was still glaring at her, but she could see the hunger in his eyes had grown.

"Delicious," Sarah sighed.

"I'm assuming you find my suffering highly amusing," Stefan said with a glare to back up his sarcastic words.

"I'm just trying to help you brother," Sarah said with a shrug as she took another sip of the blood, watching as Stefan's eyes narrowed. "You sure you don't want some?" she said while slowly waving the glass of blood back and forth, letting it sway from side to side, moving up one side of the glass before falling and raising up the other side. Somehow Stefan's glare managed to increase in intensity again. It almost made Sarah want to laugh.

"Oh come on. Just drink already," Damon groaned as he snatched the blood from Sarah and walked over to Stefan, kneeling down next to him. "Come on, this self-detox is not natural. Besides, how long did it take you to wean yourself of it last time you indulged?" Stefan fell silent as he pushed himself up to his feet and Damon rose with him, a grin forming as he watched Stefan walk away. "That's not good."

"I'll be fine, it just takes a little bit of time," Stefan said as he grabbed a towel and began to wipe himself down.

"I don't get it, you know, you don't have to kill to survive," Damon pointed out as he sauntered back over to his sister, who was also watching Stefan. The same point Damon had just made on the tip of her tongue. "That's what blood banks are for. I haven't hunted a human in… God way too long," Damon sighed. Sarah rolled her eyes as Stefan turned around to face his brother and sister, throwing his towel over the back of a nearby chair.

"Oh, I'm impressed," Stefan said dryly.

"Maybe we should get him a medal or something," Sarah added with a sarcastic tone as she looked over to her eldest brother with a smug grin.

"It's completely self-serving," Damon said, a tad defensively as he sipped his blood. "I'm trying to get the town off the trail of vampires which is not very easy considering that there is an entire tomb of them running around."

"What are we planning on doing about that?" Stefan asked as he folded her arms.

"We are not going to do much of anything if you don't have your strength," Damon replied with a pointed look which Stefan shrugged off.

"Which you won't have a lot of, unless you start drinking a healthy diet," Sarah added before taking the blood from Damon and moving over to Stefan, holding out the glass for him.

"I've survived without human blood before."

"Yeah. When you were cut off form the world and hiding out with Lexi who could protect you from any big bad nasty vampires. Now we both know Damon's not going to babysit you and I'm already watching out for Scarlett. You need to be up to full strength if your going to be fighting these tomb vampires," Sarah said, still holding out the blood from her brother to take. He didn't.

"God damn it, Stefan! Why won't you just take it?" Sarah demanded, almost throwing the blood at him before Damon snatched it back from her, taking a sip for himself. It was almost gone now, but there was still enough left for one last thirst fulfilling sip.

"I have my reasons," Stefan muttered as he walked back across the room with his siblings following him from a distance.

"Well, what are those holier-than-thou reasons?" Damon asked as he plopped down into the nearby armchair with Sarah stopping beside him, leaning down on the arm of the chair as she watched Stefan turn around to face them. "You know, we never actually discussed this, and I'd love to hear the story."

"You're both enjoying this, aren't you? Watching me struggle?" Stefan said as he folded his arms again.

"Very much so," Damon said with a smirk.

"It's your own fault," Sarah said with a shrug as Stefan's eyes focused on her. "If you'd just drink regularly and carefully then this wouldn't be an issue. This whole thing-" she gestured around with a finger in the air before then pointing at Stefan. "-is your own fault. So you won't be getting any sympathy from either of us," Sarah finished as she wiggled her finger between herself and Damon.

"Well I hate to break it to you both, but I actually have it under completely control." Sarah and Damon shared both a skeptical and an amused look before looking back over to their brother.

"You do? Well, then you should just carry on, making the rest of us vampires look bad," Damon said as he stood up and began to head for the bedroom door. "Have a great day, Stefan," Damon called over his shoulder as he walked out…deliberately leaving behind the glass of blood that was on the table next to the armchair.

Sarah smiled, looking at the glass of blood for a moment before glancing over to Stefan. His eyes locked on the glass as if he were in an hypnotic trance. "Go on, Stefan," Sarah whispered, knowing he'd hear her. "Just one little sip. It won't hurt anyone." He looked over to her, their forest eyes connecting as the thirst in his eyes surged. He was seriously contemplating taking the blood. She just needed to push him a little more. "It'll be our little secret," she said stepping towards him. She moved behind him slyly and gently nudged him forwards only for him to take two steps towards the blood before stopping when Damon walked back through the door.

"Oh, hey, almost forgot something," Damon said as he grabbed the blood. "Oops," he said with a smirk and a wink. Sarah could have killed him as Damon finished off the blood, walking out the room with the now empty glass. She had been so close to getting Stefan to feed again, and from there she could have helped him get control. Now she was going to have to start all over again.

However with Stefan in the state he was in, she knew it wouldn't be long until her next opportunity arose. Trying to keep himself clean was never going to work while she was around.

She left his room after that, deciding to give him some breathing room. She grabbed a quick breakfast, got ready and met Scarlett down in the living room where she was finishing up some homework. They then made their way to school, Sarah compelling them a lift like she normally did when neither of her brothers were heading into town. She could always take her motorcycle, but she couldn't see herself driving it to the school, particularly with Scarlett on the back. She preferred to ride solo. And Damon and Stefan would never let her borrow their precious cars, so hitchhiking seemed like the simplest option. And thanks to compulsion the driver was always kind enough to drop them right outside the school.

"Alright. It's been a few days. So are you going to tell me about this thing with Jeremy or not?" Sarah asked as she and Scarlett walked through the school hallways towards their classes.

"You're really not going to let this go are you," Scarlett sighed, though she couldn't keep the smile from her face. Sarah grinned back. It was true she'd been harassing Scarlett about it for the past few days. She was just curious about what her ward was getting up too. That and the two of them had been clicking together a lot more since the raid on the tomb vampires' house. Scarlett was really excelling in her training sessions. Sarah was curious if it had something to do with her werewolf abilities but either way she was proud of the teenager. She'd come such a long way in such a short time.

"Nope," Sarah said with a pop.

"Alright then. If I tell you, will you drop the subject?"

Sarah pretended to think for a moment. "Doubtful," she answered with a smug grin. Her answer didn't matter anyway. She'd been picking at Scarlett's defences for a while now and could see the girl was eager to let it all out. She wanted to tell someone about what had happened, but she had always been a bit of loner from what Sarah could tell. So if Scarlett was going to open herself up to someone then it might as well be her.

Scarlett stared at her for a minute before chuckling as she broke down. "Okay, fine, you win," Scarlett conceded as Sarah grinned.

"Do tell," Sarah teased as Scarlett rolled her eyes, pulling her school bag up her shoulder as they walked through the corridors.

"Well, I went over after our little discussion," Scarlett said while waving a finger between herself and Sarah. "Jenna let me in. I found him in his room, depressed over the whole thing with Vicki. I guess I was too maybe, so I got to thinking about life and death and how you only live once and so I just went for it."

"So you kissed him first?" Sarah asked as she bit her lower lip, finally getting into the high school gossip scene.

"Yeah, I kissed him first," Scarlett said with a little blush as her eyes averted down for a moment. "And then he kissed me back." Sarah couldn't help the squeal of excitement which made Scarlett blush even more. "And from there it was just one intense make-out session," Scarlett said as she bobbed her head back and forth, trying to hide the smile on her lips.

"It's alright to smile you know," Sarah said with a grin as she nudged Scarlett's elbow again. Scarlett looked over to her guardian and allowed herself a soft girly smile which made Sarah smile back. "There you go," Sarah said with another playful nudge. "Now off you go to class. I'll catch you later, text me if you change your plans," Sarah said as she began to head one way and Scarlett the other.

"You're not my mother!" Scarlett called over to Sarah as she walked backwards, facing Sarah's back as she walked.

"I might as well be!" Sarah called back over her shoulder as she made her way through the crowds of students that were still swarming the halls.

The bell then went off and students began to vanish into the classrooms until Sarah was the only one left in the hallway, making her way towards her first class of the day. As she did, she passed Alaric's classroom and paused by the door when she heard talking beyond it. Curiosity quickly got the better of her and she began to listen in.

"He's very clear that he didn't think it was real," Alaric said from inside the classroom as Sarah leaned into the wall, making sure she was out of sight from the open door way.

"I really hope you're right because I've done so much to protect him from all of this." That was Elena. She must have a free period or something and Alaric must have called her in to talk to her. From the tone of the conversation, Sarah guessed it was to do with the supernatural side of their lives, the side they'd all just realised connected them. Mostly through Damon, it had to be said.

"So, how do you deal with it?" Alaric asked.

"What do you mean?" So handy of Elena to ask for clarification, particularly when Sarah had just started eavesdropping.

"With all the lies and the secrets. You have to lie to everyone who's important to you."

"It's not safe for them to know the truth. So, yes I keep it from them, but it's only because I love them," Elena explained before a long pause filled the air.

"I think Stefan is a good guy. And Sarah's not too bad herself. But at the end of the day they're still vampires," Alaric said sternly. Sarah could literally see the parental look he was giving Elena.

"I know it's hard to understand, but Stefan is different. He would never do anything to hurt me," Elena said as she looked back to Alaric with certainty.

"And Sarah?" Alaric asked, watching as hesitation passed over Elena's eyes.

"I trust her," Elena eventually answered, honesty in her voice.

"Oh, how sweet," Sarah spoke up, making her presence known. The teacher and student looked over to the doorway to see Sarah standing with the door open, leaning against the doorframe. An amused smile on her lips as her forest green eyes watched the two like she was a predator in waiting. They had been so engrossed in their conversation that they hadn't even notice the open door or that Sarah had entered through it.

"Sarah," Elena said startled as she nervously stepped towards Alaric. "We were just-"

"It's fine, Elena," Sarah quickly clarified before either of them got the wrong idea. "I was just passing by. Heard the teacher here talking and thought I'd listen in."

"So you were eavesdropping," Alaric said with another of those critical parental looks.

"You got a problem with that?" Sarah asked with a challenging look. She was still thankful that he'd helped her and Damon back at the tomb vampire house but it didn't change how he felt about her or her family. And if he hated her family and wanted to kill them, then she felt the same way about him too. Only now she new his little ring's trick. He may have seen her fight, but he had no idea what she was capable of while she had gotten a good look at not only his gear but his skills. Needles to say she was confident she could take him if it came to a fight. But she'd let him make the first move.

"It's rude," Alaric said simply.

"Well, I am a good for nothing vampire after all," Sarah said with a grin and teasing look as Alaric scoffed and rolled his eyes. Out the corner of her eye though, Sarah was sure she saw a flash of a grin across Elena's face. It was strange how the girl continued to make her forget more and more of Katherine with each encounter despite looking identical. It was nice though. To see Elena instead of Katherine. Given some time Sarah was confident she might even call Elena her friend one day. But that was a long why down the road.

"How's Stefan doing?" Elena asked, bringing Sarah's full attention onto her.

"Brooding," Sarah answered simply. "Don't worry though, he's getting better. I'll get him to call you after school."

"Thanks," Elena said with an appreciative smile. Stefan had been deliberately avoiding her the last few days, at least until he had a better grasp on his hunger. It was for her safety and Sarah had actually agreed with him on that one. She had even contemplated sending Scarlett away for her own safety, but since Stefan knew her secret, he probably wouldn't risk picking a fight with her. And if he did, then he'd have to deal with her too.

"No problem. Now, if you excuse me, I've got a class to get to." And with that Sarah vanished from the room in a blur.

* * *

To her shock school wasn't actually all the bad. It was actually weird for Scarlett. She'd had good days at school before but this was different. She was actually getting involved in her work, trying to answer every question, racking her brain for answer rather than just giving up. She even stuck her hand up for a question the teacher asked, shocking everyone as well. After she got the answer right as well, she decided to quit while she was ahead. She'd spotted Jeremy after that, across the room grinning at her. She had smiled back shyly and lowered her head as her cheeks burned.

Scarlett couldn't be sure whether it was Jeremy or Sarah but one of them, or possibly both, were having a huge effect on her. She was finally starting to feel…whole. Like she'd been waiting for this for her whole life, particularly after her mother passed. And now every time she turned and went for a run in her wolf form, it was like releasing a breath she'd never known she was holding. It was incredible and thanks to her necklace and the ability to chance at will, she was even getting used to the pain of the shift.

She had planed to go for a run after school but before she got out the building Jeremy had come up to her side, wrapping his arm around her waist. Scarlett grinned as she glanced up at him, cocked eyebrow. "One make out session and you think you can just do what you want now?" Scarlett asked teasingly.

"Sorry, I-I didn't mean-" Jeremy said as he pulled his arm from Scarlett and she chuckled.

"Relax, Jer." She took his hand in hers as they walked down the hallways and took in his smile. With her hearing she could pick up a few whispers about them as they walked, she didn't care. They had both been social outcasts in school and she'd hated him. They'd been labeled long ago. Now she liked him and they were starting to come back into social circles, talking with more people at lunch rather than hanging out by themselves. Scarlett could careless what these people thought about her and Jeremy. Besides, what they were saying was what they said about every new couple.

"So listen," Jeremy began as they pushed the door to the outside open and descended the stairs with the rest of their classmates. "My Uncle John has come to town."

Scarlett frowned at him but continued to smile all the same. "You saying that like it's a bad thing. Should I be worried?"

"No, you don't need to worry. It's just he's a little…intense," Jeremy said sheepishly.

"And you're telling me this because?" Scarlett said, letting her question hang in the air as she came to a stop pulling her hand from Jeremy's as she folded her arms.

"I was kinda hoping you'd come home with me," Jeremy said slowly as he shoved his hands in his pocket.

"Why? Did he ask to see your girlfriend?" Scarlett snorted.

Jeremy's eyes widened slightly. "Does that mean you're my girlfriend?" he said pointedly to Scarlett.

Her eyes shot open as her cheeks flamed up. "No," she shot out as she turned away, leaving an awkward silence in the air for a moment before Jeremy decided to break it.

"Well… He didn't ask to see my girlfriend. But I know he's going to be bugging me about family history stuff and if you're there I'll feel better." Scarlett heard Jeremy's heart beat pick up as he spoke and then lower as he finished.

She smirked at him. "Real reason, Jeremy," Scarlett said with a cocked eyebrow.

"How'd you…?" Jeremy asked in astonishment, not even trying to deny it. Scarlett tapped her ear and watched Jeremy smile back before laughing lightly. "Busted," he sighed.

"Let that be a lesson, don't lie to me." She leaned over, still grinning as she planted a quick kiss on Jeremy's lips. "Now, the real reason."

Jeremy sighed before complying. "I doubt he'll bring up all the family history if your around. It's all a big secret for some reason, not even Jenna knows."

"Okay. You've got my attention," Scarlett said as she let Jeremy take her hand and they began to walk away from the school. "But just remember. I told you my secret."

"Oh, you don't have to worry about me keeping secrets from you. After all I'm not the human lie detector," Jeremy said. Scarlett whacked him on the chest with the palm of her hand and they both began to laugh as they walked.

It hadn't taken them long to get to Jeremy's home. In fact they made it up to the porch and didn't even have to open the door because right as they reached it, the door opened and John Gilbert was stood on the other side. Scarlett felt her face drop slightly at the sight of him. Just from looking into his eyes she could see everything Jeremy had told her about him was true.

"Who's this?" John asked curious as he eyed Scarlett. Feeling nervous, she lowered her head slightly while still holding eye contact. Consciously she lifted her hand up to her necklace, holding it between her thumb and index finger as she rolled the crystal back and forth. A nervous habit she'd picked up.

"This is Scarlett," Jeremy said with a proud smile.

"Girlfriend?" John asked pointedly. He had a small teasing smile on his face but Scarlett was all but sure it wasn't genuine.

"Depends on how this goes," Scarlett shot out as John's eyes swung back over to her. Another smile.

"Alright then." He left it at that as he walked back into the house, leaving the door open. With the creepy uncle gone, Scarlett looked over to Jeremy who had a worried look on his face. She quickly reassured him that there was no pressure on him and she was just trying to get John to shut up and leave. Once Jeremy understood that and relaxed they made their way inside and over to the kitchen.

"Scarlett!" Jenna greeted the girl as she stepped into the kitchen. "How have you been?" Jenna asked as she gave her a tight hug. Scarlett couldn't help but smile to herself as she hugged the woman back before they released each other.

"Good thanks. And you?" Scarlett asked politely.

Jenna sighed heavily and rolled her eyes towards John. "Been better," she answered with a pointed look over to her brother-in-law.

"Why all the hate?" John asked as he spread his arms.

"Because I don't like you," Jenna replied simply as she walked back over to the island in the kitchen where a few menus were spread out. "Do you want to stay for dinner, Scarlett? I can't promise good company but free takeout food's a given."

"Has she been insulting you all day?" Jeremy asked with a look over to his uncle.

"Just before you came in she was threatening to throw those knifes at me," John said with a small smirk as he pointed to the kitchen knifes.

"I would have too if you guys hadn't come back when you did," Jenna muttered as she glanced over the menus, trying her hardest not to let John get to her.

"I'd love to stay for dinner, Jenna," Scarlett said as she made her way over to join Jenna who sent her a friendly smile.

"Great. So what you feel like?"

They ended up going with Chinese. It seemed to please everyone but Jenna and John continued to send each other deadly glares from across the kitchen. In between the bickering, Jeremy told John about Scarlett, obviously leaving out the big secret and Scarlett got to know John a little better, not that she liked what she saw. She did her best to be polite but she couldn't help the occasional snap that came out. Jenna wasn't helping either, grinning every time Scarlett did snap at him.

Once the food arrived they began to dig in and the conversation quickly moved onto one about the upcoming Founders' Day. Or 'Blah Blah Blah' as Scarlett knew it. She'd never cared much for all the town events and crap, so when it became the main focus of what John was talking about, Scarlett decided to follow Jenna into the kitchen when she got up to put some space between herself and John.

Finally Jeremy said, "I've no interest in the Founders' Day Kick-off Party." Scarlett hoped he wasn't saying that for her benefit though she doubt that was the case. He'd never seemed like the kinda of guy that was into all that stuff. Scarlett wasn't either but now that it was becoming clear his family had to show face she was beginning to think she might have to get used to it if she started dating Jeremy. Particularly what with everything that was coming up.

"Sure you do, its tradition," John said bluntly as he ate.

"It will be our role to break the tradition," Jenna muttered from the kitchen as she and Scarlett shared a smile. Jeremy grinned back at the two but John just ignored them both and focused on his nephew.

"The Gilberts have been a part of this town for a hundred and fifty years. We're one of the founding families and with that distinction comes certain obligations including going to the party. One day, when you can appreciate the significance, I'll tell you all about your heritage," John explained to Jeremy as the boy continued to eat.

"Hmm, the Gilbert family legacy," Jenna hummed in sarcastic interest. "I forgot how sacred it was." She then turned to Scarlett to explain. "I'm not a Gilbert so I was never cool enough to hear it."

"Well, Jeremy tells me everything," Scarlett said as she shared a smile with him across the kitchen and dinning area.

"Well he won't be sharing this one," John snapped over his shoulder.

"Jeez, calm down John," Jenna said with a scowl back to her brother-in-law.

"Why does she hate you?" Jeremy asked his uncle in reference to his aunt more than the girl he had a crush on.

"We used to sleep together," John said simply before Jenna started throwing the remains of her food at him.

"I'm standing right here," Jenna snapped before Scarlett joined in on throwing the food at John.

"Why are you throwing food at me?" John demanded as he jumped for his seat and up to his feet.

"Oh, I just don't like you much," Scarlett said with a cocky grin. John scowled before being hit int he face by even more food. Everyone turned to a smiling Jeremy.

"Seriously," John sighed.

"It looked fun," Jeremy said with a shrug.

John shrugged back. "Maybe I should give it a try." He reached for his container of food and after he threw one handful of food at Jenna, all hell broke loss.

* * *

Sarah had sent Stefan over to Elena's like she said she would. Of course she had made sure he had his bloodlust under control first before sending him on his way. She wouldn't have felt comfortable sending a hungry vampire into Elena's house, especially when Stefan was hungry. He wasn't always safe to be around when his hunger spiked. He never thought rationally. But that wasn't an issue, she'd managed to slip her brother some human blood mixing it in with a large amount of animal blood so that he couldn't pick up on it. A trick she'd picked up from Lexi who would do it if Stefan was particularly weak and in need of strength to heal or for a fight. Everything had seemed fine…until she got a call from Elena.

Stefan had lashed out at her, lost control when there. Luckily Scarlett had been there to cover for him and had left with him when they decided it was time to go. Sarah could tell she was going to get lip from Scarlett later over ruining whatever time she was spending with Jeremy but she was grateful to her for looking after her brother during this hard time. Hard because he was being stubborn and refusing to accept what he was and let her help him.

Sarah had said she'd come by the next day but Elena begged her to come over that night as she really needed to talk to her. After a few minutes of back and forth, Sarah caved and said she'd be over in a few minutes. On her way out she'd bumped into Damon who gave her an update on his council meeting from that day. Apparently Elena's uncle was part of this group now too. Something she noted to bring up to Elena while she was over there. Sarah didn't tell Damon where she was going, just saying she was going for some exercise before leaving and dashing off.

Arriving at the Gilbert's, Elena greeted her and then took her up to her room, avoiding the rest of the family before closing her bedroom door so they could talk in privet. Once inside, Sarah swung around to meet Elena who had her arms folded and a tired look on her face as Sarah smiled sincerely at her. She knew that look, the concern and worry for Stefan when he was dealing with blood problems.

"Let me guess, you're worried about Stefan," Sarah said with a knowing look.

"That obvious huh?" Elena said with a light chuckle.

"I just recognise it from the mirror," Sarah said with a casual shrug as she turned form Elena and began to wonder around the room, taking it in as she paced. She had been in the room a few times, most notably during the séance with Bonnie and Caroline. But then she hadn't had much of a chance to look around, too many eyes on her and she was busy looking out for Damon at the time, protecting the three until Emily popped up.

"Did you know you that your uncle's involved with the Founder's council?" Sarah asked as she studied some of the photos on Elena's mirror, which sat on her desk.

"What?" Elena gaped in irritated shock.

"I know. My reaction was the same," Sarah said as she turned back to Elena with a grin. "Damon, told me."

"Perfect, we'll just add it to the growing list of how everything is falling apart," Elena sighed.

"Bit dramatic don't you think?" Sarah said with a skeptical look which made Elena chuckle, shaking her head before brushing her hair behind her ears. Sarah smiled, eyes moving across the room to the small amount of damage in the corner of the room. A snapped coatrack and a dent in the wall. Sarah's eyes moved back to Elena, her brown rising in question. "Something you want to tell me?"

Elena looked over her shoulder to the mess and then back to Sarah, bitting down on her lower lip. "Uh…it…it was nothing." Sarah didn't need to ask, she could guess what had happened after what Scarlett had told her. And judging by what Elena said next her guess was probably along the right lines. "Look, Sarah, I'm worried about Stefan. He says that everything's okay but he's clearly struggling. How long is it gonna take before he goes back to normal?"

For a long moment Sarah just stared back at Elena, thinking over how best to answer. "Sarah," Elena said in mild worry when she didn't answer. A low sigh as Sarah folded her arms and stepped closer towards Elena.

"Do you want me to sugar coat it. Or do you want my honest opinion?" Sarah asked, her face full of seriousness.

"I want the truth," Elena said with the same serious face as Sarah.

"Alright," Sarah said slowly with a pause. "He is struggling. He was always going to struggle and he's going to continue to struggle because he won't feed."

"You mean on people? But Stefan doesn't-" Elena said with a frown.

"Feed on people," Sarah finished with an obvious look that had slight irritation behind it before she became serious again. "I know. But here's the thing Elena. We're vampires. We need blood. Human blood. Stefan's been fighting it for so long that now that he's finally has it his body it's gone into a form of shock. His mind is saying on thing while his body says another. I need you too help me get him to feed properly."

Her request startled Elena but she knew it was completely serious by the look in her eyes. "Sarah…I-I can't-I can't ask him to feed on people."

"He doesn't need to feed on people," Sarah quickly cut in. "He can feed on blood bags, like Lexi did."

"The thing is, Elena. Without Lexi around there is a very real chance Stefan's going to end up in a dark place. Now he doesn't listen to me, so I need you to talk him into doing it." Nervously Elena looked away, folding her arms over her chest as she ran her fingers up and down her arm. Her eyes were lowered in thought until suddenly she felt Sarah's hand on her arm and she looked up into Sarah's eyes. "Elena. I know you care about Stefan. And I know this isn't easy, but you need to think about what's best for him, not what he thinks is best."

Elena was speechless for a moment. Mouth a gap as her eyes stared back into Sarah's forest green ones. If she hadn't been wearing her vervain necklace she might have thought Sarah was compelling her. Without realising it, Elena reached up and grabbed the necklace, making sure it was still there. She wasn't sure how to respond but eventually she found the words to answer Sarah. "I'll think about it." It clearly wasn't what the vampire had wanted to hear but it wasn't an absolute and firm no.

"Thank you," Sarah said as she pulled her hand from Elena's arm. She then walked past Elena heading for the bedroom door. She opened it and then stopped before looking back over to the teenage girl. "Elena," she called out and Elena turned to face her. "I know you think Damon's evil and I'm not entirely sure what you think of me because of the lifestyle I lead. But if Stefan tries to go back to the way he was now. It could kill him." From the look on Elena's face, she knew she heard and understood her words. Sarah left without another word. She had to get ready for tonight and keep an eye on Stefan, maybe slip him some more blood before they go so that he could keep in control.

Arriving back at the boarding house, Sarah walked into the study to find Stefan leaning over the couch, firmly holding a glass of half drunk whiskey in hand. "Drinking already are we?" He glanced over with a scowl which brought a smug smile to her lips. He only drank when the cravings got really bad and for him to be drinking this early on, it must be bad.

"Just a little," Stefan said, his words slurring a little. Sarah gave him a skeptical look as she walked over to the table lined with glass bottles of various whiskeys. The one she guessed Stefan was drinking out off, was almost completely gone.

"Sure looks like it," Sarah said as she held up the bottle, shaking it a little before putting it back down. Stefan just turned away, sipping at the drink in his hand as he did. "Are you going to be alright for tonight?" Sarah asked forwardly as she leaned down on the table, eyes locked on her brother as he turned back around. "Lot of people. Lot of blood. And Elena," Sarah said with a pointed look.

"I'll be fine," Stefan said as he placed his glass down and stepped away. "Now if you need me I'll be in my room, and please, don't come up to bother me," Stefan said as he looked back before turning and walking out the study. Sarah rolled her eyes before looking back over to the whisky glass. She walked over, picking it up and sniffing it. Sensing it was still good she downed the remaining alcohol before placing the glass back down and heading out after her brother.

Making her way up to the gym she'd set up for Scarlett, she found the girl there waiting for her. With some time to kill before the party that night, Sarah ran through some of the moves she'd been teaching Scarlett. She was progressing so well that Sarah even found time to teach her a new routine which she quickly got the hang off. The girl definitely had fight in her, Sarah had seen it herself, as well as a beast to back it up. Eventually though, she called it quits and went to get ready for the party.

Deciding to match her brother's sharp suits, Sarah donned a simple black low cut dress that only slightly showed off her cleavage and reached down to an acceptable level of her thigh. She knew fine well if she showed off to much then Carol Lockwood would never let her through the door. But the dress was harmless enough and it went with her brothers' simple black carefree attitude. And with a pair of black heels to match, she was good to go. She could have brought something to cover her shoulders but instead left it behind since the cold nights hardly ever bothered her. Being dead and all.

The three siblings had arranged to meet up in the living room by the front door when they were ready. Only when Sarah arrived she found Scarlett lounging on one of the couches by herself, neither brother in sight. She had a quick look around before stepping into the living room and walking over into Scarlett's line of sight which was directed at the fireplace that had been lit. The teenager was just lying there, eyes locked on the dancing flames.

"You're not coming tonight?" Sarah asked as she came to a stop, watching as Scarlett looked her up and down with a skeptical look. Not at what she was wearing but rather by her question.

"No," Scarlett said as if it were obvious. "Not part of the founding families, remember?"

"Yes, I do remember. But you know I can get you in no problem."

"Thanks, but I think I'll just stick around here. Maybe go for a run since you and your brothers won't be around," Scarlett said as she rolled back slightly before pushing herself forwards into a sitting up position.

"What? You don't like running from me?" Damon asked with a smirk as he walked into the room. Sarah felt her stomach tighten, thinking of how close Scarlett had come to outing herself to Damon. Damon who would most likely kill her in a second if he knew what she was, just because she was something he didn't understand.

"I would never run from you," Scarlett said with a pointed look while Damon continued to smirk.

"If you say so scrappy," Damon said as he walked over to Sarah, offering his arm to her. "You ready to go?"

"What about Stefan?" Sarah asked.

"He'll be down in a second, figured we go and get the car started. Preferably I'd like to be at this thing for as little amount of time as possible, especially since John Gilbert is going to be there," Damon groaned.

"Another reason for me not to go," Scarlett said as she stood up, heading for the hallway.

"Oh," Damon said, suddenly intrigued by what Scarlett had to say. "Do my ears deceive me or has our little run away got a problem with her new boyfriend's uncle."

"I'm not your anything, Damon," Scarlett called back as she walked out without even giving him a look back. Sarah smiled, she must really be starting to feel comfortable to treat Damon like that. She might as well be part of the family now.

"I'm really starting to hate that kid," Damon mumbled to his sister once Scarlett was out of sight, even though Sarah knew full well she could still hear them. But Damon didn't.

"Why do you think I keep her around," Sarah said with a smirk to her bother as he rolled his eyes. "Now come on, we're going to be late," Sarah said as she took her brother's arm and lead him towards the door where they met up with Stefan.

"How you feeling now?" Sarah asked as Stefan opened the front door for her and Damon.

"I just want to get this over with," Stefan sighed, the alcohol drifting from his lips and hitting Sarah right in the face.

"Whoa. How much more have you had?" Sarah asked as she waved her hand in front of her face.

"It helps with the-"

"Cravings. We know," Damon cut in with a roll of the eyes.

"Seriously, Stefy, just have some blood. You'll feel better," Sarah pleaded.

"Yeah, we've got a teenage girl upstairs who's right for the taking," Damon said with a grin which quickly vanished when Sarah rammed her elbow into his chest. "Or, maybe a blood bag from the basement," Damon groaned out as he rubbed the spot Sarah had hit. For a brief moment Stefan looked like he might say yes but then shook his head.

"No. No, I'm fine," Stefan said. His younger sister and older brother shared a look before looking back to him with plastered smiles.

"What every you say, Stefy," Sarah simply said as she and Damon walked out with Stefan following behind. The three loaded themselves into Damon's car, Damon in the driver's seat while Sarah took the passenger seat and shoved Stefan into the back. When he tried to argue Sarah made a simple argument that said only vampires that drink human blood can sit in the front. When Damon then seconded the notion Stefan shut up until they arrived at the Founders' Hall.


	23. That Drunk High School Guy at the Party

_Review responses:_

Guest: _That would be her better nature coming through, hopefully it'll keep up ;)_

Only reviewer: Yeah, Uncle John is a troublesome, annoying man. And I'm excited for this chapter too. And I love the ship name "Sarena"! Don't know if it's been mentioned before but that's definitely the official ship name now! And yes, it's kind of foundations since in the show Damon was in Elena's room but instead I've got Sarah there.

Charmedbycharmed: Glad you're liking Scarlett and Jeremy. And I agree, her sass does even out Jeremy's emo-ness. And Sarah and Elena are indeed getting closer...

 _I'm finding a trend in writing these episodes as two parters, I'm always finding the second part so much more fun! Not a lot of Scarlett in this part but the scene she has in this one I loved! I'm just really enjoying writing her and Jeremy at the moment. Sarah has some good stuff too and her first major interaction with John. But I really had fun with the Stefan and Elena interactions in this one, between Sarah I mean, and I'm looking forward to what you guys have to say about it._

 _Thanks also for all the new favourites and follows you guys! And don't forget to leave a review, I respond to every one and that's the same for PMs. I just love hearing what you all have to say and it makes my day and encourages me to write more. Hope you all enjoy the latest update to the story and I'll see you later!_

* * *

 **Chapter 23: That Drunk High School Guy at the Party Sneaking Booze**

* * *

"Oh god. I shouldn't be here," Stefan said nervously as he walked into the Founders' Hall, Damon on one side and Sarah on the other.

"Come on, don't be a downer, it's a party for the founding families. That would be us. It would be rude to skip it," Damon said as the three stopped in the front hallway, letting the other guests pass by while classical music drifted through the rooms.

"I really liked you a whole lot better when you hated everybody," Stefan said with a tight smile to his brother while Sarah smirked from his other side.

"Oh I still do. I just love that they love me," Damon said as he watched an attractive woman go by, eyeing her behind.

"You ought to be careful, Damon. If that ego gets any bigger then your head might just blow," Sarah said teasingly as her eldest brother smirked back. Sarah then moved on to her other brother who was exhibiting all the symptoms of withdrawal. The tapping foot, the chattering teeth, the frantic looks all over the place. "How you feeling?" Sarah asked as she nudged Stefan, at which he almost jumped, turning to face her.

"I'm good–I'm fine," Stefan blurted out uneasily.

"Really?" Sarah said with a skeptically look.

"No cravings? No urges? Is that whiskey you've been drinking all day doing its job?" Damon asked from his other side as Stefan looked between the two with a tired face. It really was taking a lot out of him to stay in control this time.

"We are who we are, Stefan. Nothing's gonna change that," Sarah said with a pointed look that, like always, Stefan chose to ignore.

"Nothing would make you two happier than to just see me give up, would it?" Stefan asked as he looked between his two siblings.

"You're right," Sarah said with a smile as she nodded.

Stefan shot her a glare before looking ahead. "I'm gonna find Elena," Stefan muttered as he started to walk off into the crowds of people, leaving his brother and sister behind.

"Don't embarrass me young man!" Damon called after him as he and Sarah chuckled between themselves.

"I'm gonna go and keep an eye on him. Try not to cause a scene," Sarah said with a look to Damon before heading off after her other brother.

"You're talking to the wrong brother tonight, Sis," Damon called after her. She shot him a smile over her shoulder before turning away, smiling as she made her way through the Founders' Hall. _He always had to have the last word_ , she thought before she spotted Stefan in a room with a small bar. Mostly it was full of people socialising, a DJ in the corner, opposite the bar which Stefan was leaning against as he sipped on an alcoholic drink. If he kept going at this rate, soon none of them would need to worry about his blood cravings because he'd be a full time alcoholic.

"What's that, like, your fortieth?" Sarah asked, gesturing to the drink in Stefan's hand as she leaned back on the bar beside him.

"Just leave me alone, please, Sarah," Stefan replied before taking a gulp of his drink.

"Sorry, Stefy. Someone has to keep an eye on you. And it sure as hell isn't going to be Damon," Sarah said with a smug smile to her brother.

"Shouldn't you be watching that wolf of yours?" Stefan pointed out as he leaned towards his sister, his voice a mere whisper as he spoke. Sarah quickly lashed out at that, grabbing Stevan's free hand and crushing his fingers with her own. Not to the point of breaking, just enough to make sure he got the message.

"Talk about her like that again, and I'll do the same to Elena," Sarah warned in a low voice. Though for the first time, when she made a threat towards Elena, she wasn't sure she'd actually go through with it.

Stefan gritted his teeth but nodded accordingly and Sarah released him. Good time too, as Elena and the rest of the Gilberts had just walked in. Elena made her way straight towards the Salvatores while Jeremy and Jenna looked like they wanted to be anywhere else. As for the mysterious Uncle John, he quickly began socialising like he'd been at everyone of these founders events. They were definitely going to have to keep an eye on that one.

"Hey," Elena said as she stopped in front of Stefan and Sarah.

"Hey," Stefan responded.

"Hello, Elena," Sarah added with a warm smile which Elena returned, as if she hadn't been threatening her five seconds ago.

"How are you?" Stefan asked, still holding his drink in plain sight. However, before the now frowning Elena could ask about it, Stefan leaned forward and planted a kiss on her cheek.

"Are you drunk?" Elena asked in astonishment. "Is he drunk?" Elena repeated as she looked to Sarah who nodded back.

"Okay, I know it's a little weird but it's really helping me. The alcohol takes the edge off," Stefan explained. Elena looked back to Sarah as if waiting for her to confirm this. She didn't answer and kept her face neutral. She didn't want Elena to think alcohol was an easy fix cause it wasn't. It was a distraction from the cravings of blood, one that couldn't last forever. Plus she wanted Elena to help her brother agree to feed properly. She wasn't going to do that if she thought there was another way to help him, which in Sarah's opinion, there wasn't.

"You're totally that drunk high school guy at parties sneaking booze," Elena said as she turned her attention back to Stefan, after getting nothing from Sarah.

"I totally am, yeah," Stefan sighed in agreement with a tired smile to his girlfriend.

"How worried do I need to be?" Elena asked, eyes moving between both the vampires as she waited for her answer.

"Oh, no. You don't need to be worried. It's just until the cravings go away." _Which won't be anytime soon_ , Sarah thought to herself as she watched her brother. "Listen, I think we should enjoy it while it lasts. Would you like to dance with me?" Stefan asked as he sat aside his now empty glass, taking Elena's hands in his own.

"You hate dancing. I usually have to beg you," Elena pointed out with an astonished frown.

"No, no, no you have to beg the sober me. The drunk me, there is no begging necessary," Stefan explained. When he looked away, Elena looked over to Sarah, worry all over her face. Sarah wasn't entirely sure how to respond other than shrug with as sympathetic a smile as she could muster up. It didn't seem to reassure Elena at all so she looked over to the rest of the room where no one was dancing and turned back to Stefan.

"There's really no one dancing," Elena said with a none caring shrug.

"That's because they need something better to dance to," Stefan said with a grin. "I'll be right back." He turned and made his way over towards the DJ while Elena turned back to Sarah, starting to look uncomfortable with the way Stefan was acting. She couldn't really blame her, even Sarah wasn't comfortable around this version of Stefan. This was the version she knew least about, even his darker side she understood better than his drunken side. So far though, Elena had only seen the goodie two-shoes version, the one he tried to be as often as possible. But when he fell off that path, it could sometimes be years before he found his way back.

Sarah could tell Elena wanted to ask her something but saw that she was holding her tongue. When Sarah turned around she found out why, seeing that Kelly Donovan was standing next to her, leaning against the bar with, surprise, surprise, a drink in hand.

"Yeah…that's not gonna work. I already tried to bribe the guy with twenty bucks and a date," Kelly stated, having been eavesdropping apparently.

"Well if it was a date with you, I'm hardly surprised," Sarah said with a roll of the eyes, none too happy to be in Kelly's company.

"What's that supposed to-" Kelly snapped before Sarah locked eyes with the old tramp.

"Shut up," Sarah ordered with the aid of her compulsion. And just like that Kelly's lips were sealed.

"Sarah," Elena hissed angrily, especially since her uncle was probably in the next room and would kill her if he found out what she was.

"Oh come on," Sarah groaned, looking to Elena. "You can't honestly tell me you like hearing this washed up idiot talk."

"She just lost her daughter," Elena pointed out as she leaned over.

"I'm surprised she noticed," Sarah muttered as she glared at the confused Kelly, yet still mesmerised by Sarah's compulsion.

"Sarah, just leave her alone," Elena orders with a stern look and a low voice.

"Alright, alright, jeez." Sarah rolled her eyes as she turned back to Kelly, locking eyes once more as she gently lay her hands on Kelly's shoulders, holding her still while the compulsion did it's work. "Forget everything me and Elena just talked about and forget what I did to you just now. Once you do, walk away," Sarah ordered. When she was done, Kelly blinked and then walked away just as she was told. Sarah smiled at her handy work but when she saw Elena scowling at her she rolled her eyes one more.

"You know, you suck all the fun out of being a vampire," Sarah said as the music suddenly changed to a more upbeat tune and Stefan took to the dance floor, leading everyone as the room began to dance.

"Have I entered an alternate universe where Stefan is fun?" Damon said mockingly as he slide up next to Sarah and Elena's side, watching along with them as Stefan danced around with various women.

"Is he gonna be okay?" Elena asked in concern as she watched her boyfriend moved around the room.

"Eventually," Damon said as he began to drink out of his glass.

"One way or another," Sarah added with a grin as Elena turned to her. "Of course, if you helped me, we could minimise the damage."

"I'm still thinking about it," Elena said quietly as she looked away.

"Fine," Sarah said with a thin smile. She looked back over to the dance floor, seeing that Stefan was having a perfectly fine time dancing with the likes of Kelly Donovan, oddly leaving Elena out in the cold. "Looks like, Stefan's having a good time." Out the corner of her eye she saw Elena turn to her. "Odd how he never wants to dance and now that he finally does, he's not doing it with you."

Pushing her chin up definitely, as if to challenge Sarah on her mockery, Elena said, "Dance with me then." Sarah turned with her brown raised and a grin towards Elena, intrigued by what she was suggesting. "Well it's either you or Damon. So?" Elena said, as if reading her thoughts. She held out her hand towards Sarah, as if the matter had already reached it's conclusion.

Sarah smirked, her brow lowering to it's normal height. "Alright, Elena. You have my attention. But I'm leading," Sarah said as she took Elena's hand, letting her drag her towards the dance floor.

"We'll see. Remember, I am wearing vervain," Elena said with a smirk as she began to shake her hips, encouraging Sarah to do the same. Oddly enough Sarah found herself really getting into it and was actually enjoying herself. Jenna even joined in with them, the three laughing between themselves before moving off to the side as they tired of dancing and started to chat. While chatting, Sarah glanced around the room, noticing she'd lost sight of both her brothers. Deciding to be optimistic, she assumed Damon was keeping an eye on Stefan, wherever he'd gotten too.

"History teacher three o'clock," Elena murmured as both Jenna and Sarah turned to see Alaric making his way through the crowd towards them.

"How do I look?" Jena asked semi–nervously.

"Beautiful," Elena said with a smile.

"Definitely," agreed Sarah as she moved over to Elena's side, giving Jenna another comforting smile. She smiled back at the two before turning when Alaric was close enough.

"I was looking for you," Alaric said to Jenna as he came to a stop, only half noticing Elena and Sarah as his eyes locked on Jenna and her perfect form.

"Here I am," Jenna replied, instantly feeling like an idiot for saying it. She sent Elena and Sarah a sideways glance, telepathically looking for confirmation but they just subtly motioned her on. "I haven't seen you in a while."

"Well, uh..." Alaric stammered as he looked over to the teenagers beside them. A knowing look passing between them. "Things have been a little crazy but I'm here now. Do you want to get a drink?" He gestured to the bar across the room.

"Sure," Jenna said with a smile which Alaric returned.

"Okay," he murmured as he took her hand and led her away from the two teens who waved Jenna off. She shot them a half giddy smile, half silencing scowl as she vanished into the crowd, leaving Elena and Sarah grinning at one another.

"Well, that ought to be interesting," Sarah said.

"That's one word for it," Elena agreed with a giggle before her eyes spotted someone behind Sarah. Recognising this, Sarah turned to find Matt approaching them, an amazed expression across his face as he looked around the room full of dancers.

"When did this happen?" Matt asked in astonishment.

"DJ had a change of heart," Elena said with a shrug.

"Do you want to dance?" Matt asked.

Elena squirmed a little, her face screwing up before it suddenly lit up. "No…But I think Sarah would."

"Excuse me?" Sarah said in surprise as she turned to Elena who was grinning back at her. Something about it seemed similar to Katherine, probably just the face. But at the same time it was teasing, the smile of someone trying to mess around in their friend's life, not manipulate them for their own amusement.

"Come on then," Matt said, grabbing Sarah's hand and pulling her towards the dance floor before she could argue. She easily could have stopped him if she wanted, but seeing as his sister was dead because of her and he was grieving, he deserved at least one dance. So she indulged him and let him dance around while she followed. She did end up enjoying herself a lot more than she thought she would, though it dropped every time she saw Elena smiling her way. She didn't like the way she was looking at her. It almost made her feel like Katherine was watching her again, particularly when she only got quick second glances of her from the corners of her eyes. Nevertheless she and Matt had a good time. Though when he felt his hands begin to wonder she quickly put a stop to that.

She could tell he was drunk. She wouldn't say anything though, it wasn't her place. So after accepting his apology she danced a little longer before claiming she needed a drink. He got the message and backed off, heading off into the house, muttering something about needing the bathroom. She had considered maybe giving him something, but realised that wouldn't be fair to anyone involved, Caroline or Matt. She'd be taking advantage of Matt in his drunken state and she'd already brought the two enough pain. Last thing she wanted to do was drive a wedge between the young couple.

Making her way through the busy hall, she headed towards another set up bar where Damon was leaning against the counter, sipping on a bourbon. "I'll have one of those," Sarah said as she leaned down next to him. "Or maybe a whiskey now I think about it."

"Good luck with that," Damon muttered as he sipped his drink. Sarah took the challenge with a confident grin. When the bartender arrived it only took the simplest of compulsions to get him to hand over her drink, on the house of course. "Cheers," Damon said holding out his glass towards Sarah. She grinned back at him, clicking her glass with his before the both drank.

"Have you two noticed what your brother has been up to?" Elena asked as she approached the two, leaning down the counter with a sigh.

"What have you done now, Damon?" Sarah asked with a grin towards her brother who returned it as he sipped his bourbon, chuckling a little.

"I'm serious, Sarah. Just now we were dancing, and I accidentally bumped into someone. Next thing I know Stefan's forcing him to apologise to me."

"Oh, no, whatever next?" Damon sighed with dramatic sarcasm. "Let me guess he'll start forcing people to say please and thank you." Sarah smiled a little at his remark but hid it from Elena. She could tell she was seriously worried about Stefan, which meant she was right were Sarah needed her. The longer she was in this position the more likely it was she'd come to her senses and help Sarah get Stefan on a healthy diet, that way he could get back to normal. But to keep her on her side she had to show some sympathy towards the girl, even though she was more worried about what Stefan would do rather than how Elena was feeling.

"This isn't funny, Damon," Elena snapped with a glare his way. He ignored it.

"He knows, Elena," Sarah said, bringing Elena's attention over to her as she stepped around to Elena's other side, her eyes following. "It's just compared to some of the stuff we've seen and done. Forcing someone to apologise is hardly going to put him on the fast past to hell."

"But he's never done something like this before," Elena said, more like whined.

"Elena, this is just his cravings flaring up. Once we get him on a sensible diet he'll be back to his old self," Sarah said as she placed her hand on Elena's arms reassuringly.

"And how do we do that?" When Elena asked that, Damon looked over, now intrigued. A bit off putting but it was't something Sarah couldn't handle.

"We need to get him to drink human blood," Sarah explained, doing her best to ignore Damon grinning from behind Elena.

"Sarah-" Elena began to say with a tired sigh of having to repeat herself.

"I know your not comfortable with this, Elena. But the reality is Stefan is a vampire, like me and Damon. He needs human blood. Doesn't mean he has to kill, remember Lexi." Elena nodded. "She hardly killed anyone in the time I knew her. Yes she wasn't always that way but she had good control over her cravings and only killed when necessary. Otherwise it was always blood bags and the occasional human that she healed and then send on his way." What Sarah said did seem to relax Elena a little, but it was going to take more to win her over completely.

"How much longer will his…cravings, flare up before he's back to normal? Without drinking human blood," Elena asked.

"Hard to say," Sarah said with shrug. "Could be a few more days. Could be a month, or even a year since he's been off the human stuff for so long."

"I'm willing to bet on the latter," Damon muttered before sliding himself in between the two and shooting them silencing glares. "Now, I suggest we talk about something else. After all, it's not like we're in a building owned by a council of vampire hating simpletons that want to see us all dead," Damon said in a low voice. Admittedly Sarah hadn't thought about that. Her natural reaction to if anyone overheard was compulsion, but all the council members would be on vervain. She supposed she could have made up some story about something she was writing for school, but that would still put her on the council's radar, which was the last place she wanted to be. They had to be smart.

"Just try and enjoy the rest of the evening, Elena. We can talk about this tomorrow," Sarah said as she grabbed the drink she had set down, reading herself to move on.

"But what if-"

Anticipating her question, Sarah answered, "He seems to have it pretty well under control for now. Just keep an eye on him and if anything really bad starts happing just shout. I can have him out of her before anyone even realises what's happening. But I'd rather not cause a scene." With that she ended the vampire part of the conversation and plastered on a smiling mask as she stepped away from her brother and Elena. "Now if you excuse me, I'm going to go and check on Matt." Sarah finished off her drink before throwing the empty glass to Elena who clumsily caught it. By the time she had a good hold on it and looked back up, Sarah was gone.

She was making her way through the hallways when she found Matt walking away from one of the bathrooms, his smile having returned now. "Who knew I've been missing all the fun at the Founders' Parties?"

"Trust me, this is one of the more exciting ones. It's probably because your here," Sarah said charmingly as Matt blushed. Then he looked down at the ground, not out of embarrassment, but something else. It didn't take Sarah long to recognise it as shame.

"Is it bad that I'm enjoying myself?" Matt asked as he lifted his head and looked back over to Sarah.

"God no," Sarah scoffed. "If anything I'd be encouraging you to let off some steam. It's good to try and focus on other things," Sarah said as she rubbed his arm, the two sharing a smile. _If only he wasn't dating Caroline_ , Sarah thought. But even if he wasn't, she still wouldn't take that chance. It wouldn't have been fair to him, not after everything that had happened to his family.

"Air, I need some air." Clearly he was feeling the same which made Sarah feel a little better. "Come with me?" Matt asked, gesturing to the door that led outside.

"Of course," Sarah said with a smile as Matt held the door open for her.

As she walked out with Matt following, he asked, "Have you seen my mom?"

Sarah would have answered with a snarky comment towards his mother but then stopped dead when she saw who else was outside. "Oh, God," Sarah sighed as she watched Tyler and Kelly Donovan making out. She turned back to Matt, trying to push him back inside before he saw what was happening. He chuckled as she placed her hands on him, thinking it was a game until he looked over and saw them.

"Mom!" Matt shouted in anger as Sarah stopped pushing. There wasn't much point now. The teenager and old woman broke away from each other, gasping in air as they turned towards the outraged Matt.

"Matt," Kelly gasped as her eyes widened in horror. Sarah couldn't believe this woman. How pathetic was she to have to make out with a teenager and specifically Matt's best friend. Was there no line this idiot wouldn't cross. Sarah looked to Matt, seeing him breathing heavily, his anger clearly about to burst with the mixture of emotion and drink in his system. This couldn't have happened at a worst time.

"What the hell are you doing man?" Matt demanded as he advanced on Tyler, who looked surprisingly calm.

"Whoa dud, calm down," Tyler said with a shrug. Sarah wasn't surprised by what happened next as Matt swung for Tyler, punching him clean across the face. Tyler turned back around and swung back, catching Matt who then charged tackling him towards his mother who fell over in the commotion knocking over a table and smashing everything on it in the process. Sarah cringed a little but didn't move to help Kelly, as far as she was concerned, Kelly had it coming. Her focus shifted back to Matt and Tyler, who were rolling around on the floor. When Matt got up on top he began to pound into Matt's face, punching him over and over.

When it became clear Matt wasn't going to be getting the upper hand back, Sarah stepped in. "Tyler, stop!" Sarah shouted, grabbing his punching arm. When he wheeled on her, Sarah gritted her teeth and yanked Tyler to his feet before shoving him against one of the nearby columns that supported the balcony above. He tried to fight back but another sharp shove from Sarah managed to knock some fight out of him. "Enough!" Sarah snapped as she snarled at him.

Normally she would have used compulsion, but with all the witness around and most of the vampire hating council inside, she couldn't risk it. Using her strength was risky enough as it was but since Tyler seemed to have calmed down now, she loosened a little but kept a grip on him in case he made another move.

"I'll take it from here," Sarah heard from behind as a hand landed on her shoulder. She looked back, not releasing Tyler, to see it was the mayor. Tyler's dad. She stared at him for a moment before slowly letting go of Tyler.

"You son has some serious anger management problems," Sarah said quietly so only he could hear, and not the crowd that had formed. He looked a little taken aback by her statement, but she knew he was also feeling insulted which was the intended point. She then stepped away from Tyler, allowing the Mayor to step over to his son, checking him over.

Seeing Kelly had vanished, not surprisingly, Sarah knelt down to check on the injured and bleeding Matt. His lip was split, his cheek stained with blood and the beginning of a black eye forming. Feeling his hand, she guessed it was broken, most likely from punching Tyler. But Sarah had to admit, it was rather satisfying to watch him give both Tyler and Kelly what they had coming.

"Come on, let's get you sitting up," Sarah said as she helped Matt to his feet before forcing him to sit down in one of the few chairs still sitting up right.

"Everything's fine. Everything is fine," Mayor Lockwood announced form behind trying to clear the crowd away. Sarah looked over her shoulder, rolling her eyes before turning her attention back to Matt. All the Mayor cared about was maintaining his image and his status. He could careless about the injured Matt. Sarah was tempted to give him some of her blood to heal his wounds, but again, with the council all around, she couldn't risk it. So unfortunately Matt was going to have to heal the old fashioned, and long, way.

"You don't look to bad, just a broken hand by the looks of things," Sarah said as she held Matt's head, carefully moving it while she looked over his injuries.

"Where is she?" Matt snarled looking around for his mother who had vanished.

"I don't know," Sarah answered as she wiped away some of the blood on Matt's face just to have more leak out of his cuts. "Come on, let's get you washed up."

"No," Matt snapped shoving her hands away from him as he stood up, his angry glare still present. Sarah stood up to her full height, facing off against Matt as he shifted his weight back and forth, looking from side to side as he let out angry breaths. He was too worked up now, she wasn't going to be able to stop him, she doubted even Caroline could. _Probably good she wasn't here to see this_ , Sarah thought.

"Matt," Sarah started.

"No, Sarah. I'm done." He sighed and then dropped his head before looking back up to her. "Look…I'm sorry, Sarah. Thanks, for-Thanks for everything. But I think I'm just gonna go."

"Alright. You want me to take you home, or…?" Sarah began but Matt just shook his head.

"No. I'll be fine. I'll-I'll see you later," he said as he brushed past her and made his way for the door before heading through the house and out towards his car. Sarah watched him go with a sad look before slowly making her way back inside. She looked around for Kelly Donovan for a bit but eventually gave up, seeing as there wasn't a lot she could do. She had considered compelling her to be a better mother but after everything she'd done, she didn't deserve that second chance. And Sarah was pretty sure that Matt wanted nothing to do with Kelly after tonight.

So instead she made her way back to the bar. She was just about to order another drink when a hand grabbed her arm and swung her around. It was Damon with a serious look on his face, not his best look it had to be said. "Relax, Damon. It's a party after all," Sarah said with a smirk as she took the drink the bartender handed her, sipping on it as she watched Damon smile sarcastically back before returning to his serious mode. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, where to start," Damon murmured with a forced smile.

"Just spit it out, Damon. I'm in no mood for games," Sarah said before taking another sip.

"Alright. John Gilbert's dead." Sarah stared at him a moment before her neutral features turned into a smile and she chuckled.

"Good one," Sarah said with a sip of her drink.

"I'm serious," Damon snarled, irritated by the fact Sarah wasn't taking this more seriously.

"Alright then, Damon. If you killed John, then how is he standing over there?" Sarah asked, gesturing with her glass to behind Damon. He turned and his eyes widened when he saw John straightening his suit before taking a drink from one of the waiters.

"You got to be kidding me," Damon sighed while Sarah continued to stare at him like he'd lost his mind.

"Wait…so you're not joking?" Sarah said with a frown of seriousness.

"Nope. Five minutes ago, I snapped his neck, tossed him off the second floor balcony and came down here. Now he's back," Damon said through a tight lipped smile. Sarah could see he was uncomfortable, but also sensed he wasn't telling her everything.

"Why did you kill him in the first place?" Sarah asked, now keeping an eye on John as he moved through the party, not seeming to have noticed the two yet.

"He knows. About us that is," Damon said, waving a finger between himself and his sister.

"How?"

"I don't know, but he does. He hasn't ratted us out yet though, so I'm suspecting he has something planned, and I don't like being put in the middle of someone's plan. Especially when I don't know what that plan is," Damon said angrily as he ran his hand across his jaw, a sign he was worried. Seriously worried. Sarah hadn't seen him like this in a while.

"Alright then. First, we find out how he came back, then we make sure he can't came back again, then we kill him," Sarah listed simply before downing the last of her drink and then setting the glass down on the bar. "Let's go and kill this dick." She smiled confidently at her brother before marching off towards the room John had moved into. From behind, Damon grinned at his sister's confidence before following, enjoying seeing himself in his younger sister.

By the time they arrived in the room John had moved to, a crowd had already gathered around a small stage in the corner of the room. Sarah and Damon spotted John quickly, near the front of the crowd and off to the side of the stage. No chance of killing him there, to public, even with their speed. Sarah caught Damon's impatient look and nudged her elbow against his. Her eldest brother looked over to her and she gave him a look, telling him to calm down. He rolled his eyes and began to walk around the edge of the crowd while Sarah stood at the back and watched the Mayor talk. It wasn't anything important, just a small speech about what was coming up with the Founders' Day celebration and then he asked John Gilbert to join him. The crowd applauded as Damon returned to Sarah's side, still irritated by the fact he couldn't kill John. They'd have to wait until he left, otherwise they'd never be able to kill him without being caught. How no one had found John's dead body before he came back was pure luck. _Damn Damon and his impulsive nature_ , Sarah thought.

"One hundred and fifty years of community, prosperity, family. We take care of each other, we look after each other," John looked over to Damon and Sarah and with that one look she knew that everything Damon had been telling her was true. John did know what they were and that made him dangerous and a threat. Which was made even more clear by what he said next. "Protect each other…It's good to be home."

More applause as Sarah pulled Damon into the crowd, hiding themselves from John who had lost sight of them as he shook hands. He gave a brief glance in search of them, unable to do anything more without drawing attention, but during that time Sarah spotted a ring on John's hand, one that looked very familiar. As if the universe was congratulating her for connecting the dotes, the crowd parted enough for Sarah to look back and see Alaric off to the side, without Jenna. Sarah moved over, Damon following with one eye locked on John as they moved to the edge of the room. He was just itching to kill him again.

"Where's Jenna?" Sarah muttered to Alaric as she and Damon stopped next to him.

"Bathroom. Why?" Alaric said, quickly picking up the seriousness in her voice.

"We need to talk," Sarah said, implying it was about their shared secret lives.

"Check out his right hand," Damon said subtly as he sipped at a drink he'd picked up while moving through the crowd.

"Whose?" Alaric asked, frown deepening as he leaned towards the two siblings.

"John's. Check out his ring," Sarah said quickly and bluntly before anyone else could hear or notice. Alaric looked over as John rang some ceremonial bell, his hands gripping the rope in such a way that made his ring visible. Getting a clear look at it with Alaric, Sarah could see the ring a lot more clearly now, as well as what it resembled. Or rather whose ring it resembled.

"It looks like mine," Alaric said, still confused by what was going on and why this was important.

"Yeah, and that would be a big coincidence if he didn't just came back form the dead five minutes ago. Where the hell did you get that ring?" Damon asked as he turned fully to face Alaric, Sarah stood beside them both.

"Isobel, my wife," Alaric answered.

"Who gave birth to Elena, under the medical care of the esteemed Dr. Grayson Gilbert, John's brother!" Damon hissed.

"Noticing the common denominator?" Sarah asked rhetorically.

"Do you think John knew Isobel?" Alaric asked, focusing on his wife and ignoring the anger and teasing of the two Salvatores.

"I think John knows a lot of things," Damon said as he looked back over John who had gone back to shaking hands with the guests.

"Then I guess it's time for a good old fashioned Q and A with Elena's asshole of an Uncle," Sarah agreed as Damon hummed, sipping at his drink.

* * *

Running through the woods like a shadow, it took Scarlett mere minutes to reach the Gilbert house. She had jumped fence after fence until she recognised the Gilbert's back garden. As she had been told, the back door was open a jar, at least enough for her to push it open with her nose. Making her way over to the door, she jammed her nose in the gap and pushed. The door slid open and Scarlett made her way inside, her head lifting as she sniffed the air. The only scent she was picking was Jeremy's which was what she had been expecting.

He had called her about half an hour ago, asking her to come over. Scarlett had known he was at the Founders Day celebration thing but had apparently left out of boredom. And she was more than happy to meet up with in his house, alone.

When she heard a squeaking floor board from the hallway, her head turned sharply to find Jeremy walking towards her. He stopped at her sudden movement and raised his hands, saying some kind of apology as he did. Scarlett smiled, a wolfy smile, though from the look on Jeremy's face it must not have looked very friendly. She then made her way into the living room to shift while Jeremy closed the back door. A few painful turns of muscles and sliding of bones later and Scarlett was back to her normal human self. She could swear the changes were becoming less painful the more often she went through them. Maybe she was just getting used to it?

Her necklace still hung from her neck, the slim black crystal that had once belonged to her mother. Unfortunately it was the only thing on her naked body. Thankfully there was a blanket on the couch. Still kneeing down, she grabbed the blanket and pulled it over her body, using it to cover her chest and waist. Most of her legs still showed but she didn't mind.

She stood up, shaking her hair out as she did. "Alright, Jeremy, you can come in," Scarlett called out before Jeremy walked in from the kitchen. He smiled when he saw the blanket that covered her otherwise naked body. "Shut up," Scarlett said playfully as she turned her body away from him, not allowing him to imagine what was beneath.

"I didn't say anything," Jeremy exclaimed with an uncontrollable goofy smile.

"Maybe, but I know exactly what you were thinking," Scarlett replied knowingly.

"Maybe you could keep some cloths here," Jeremy suddenly suggested, making Scarlett frown with a curious look to match. "I mean, that way you can run over here and have something to change into when you get here," Jeremy added suddenly. "Because…well…you know."

Scarlett chuckled. "I'll think about it. Now, why did you want me to come her exactly?"

Suddenly Jeremy turned very serious and Scarlett's smile dropped. Not only could she see it, but she could sense it to thanks to her werewolf senses. "Well…I've had this…feeling, for a while, that Elena was keeping something from me. Turns out, she's adopted."

Scarlett gave him a worried look. "Are you sure you should be telling me this?" Scarlett asked nervously.

"I trust you," Jeremy said as he stepped forward, placing his hands on Scarlett's blanket covered shoulders. "But the thing is…I don't think that's the only thing she's been keeping from me. Ever since I found out about Anna, I've been looking into Vampires more and more. I though Vicki might have been one–"

"Why though?" Scarlett pushed as she stared at him questioningly. If he'd wanted to know more why hadn't he just come to her, or had he been thinking she'd just try to steer him away. She hadn't exactly been thrilled when he found out about her and Anna's secrets. But she had to admit it was nice being able to talk about it with him.

"So that I could help. I was looking into werewolves too," Jeremy added as Scarlett sighed.

"Jeremy, I know you mean well but I don't need your help. What I need is for you to keep your distance and be safe. The more you get involved with this, the more danger you put yourself in," Scarlett explained with a slight worried look to Jeremy.

"It was just some internet research, alright. It wasn't like I was talking to actual vampires or werewolves…present company excluded of course." They both smiled at that. "I just want to know what my sister is keeping from me. We used to talk, a lot. But ever since our parents died we've really drifted apart. We're trying to make things better but I know she's holding something back." Scarlett knew exactly what Elena wasn't telling him.

"So what do you need me for? Go and talk to her yourself," Scarlett said with a pointed look.

"I tried. She won't budge… So I was hoping you could help me find her diary," Jeremy said sheepishly as Scarlett glared back at him.

"You want me to sniff it out?" Scarlett asked, voice dripping with sarcasm.

"If you could," Jeremy said, scratching the back of his neck.

"Well, I could if I knew what the book smelt like. But I don't so I can't," Scarlett explained, since Jeremy didn't catch the sarcastic tone.

"Could you help me look then?" Scarlett was all set to say no and stand her ground. At least until her eyes connected with Jeremy's puppy dog ones. _Crap. She was becoming soft_ , Scarlett thought to herself. The fact that Jeremy could win her over with one look was not a good thing. She'd have to find away around that soon, otherwise he'd become the Alpha in this relationship, and that just wouldn't do.

"Alright, fine," Scarlett sighed as Jeremy's face lit up. Maybe she could keep him away from the diary and talk him into giving up, and then later warn Elena and get her to come clean with him. Not that Jeremy's older sister knew her little brother was in on Scarlett's secret too. It was getting far to complicated to remember who knew who's secret and who didn't know and who wasn't aloud to know. It was moments like this that made Scarlett wish for her old supernatural free life…minus the dick uncle of course.

The two made their way up to Elena's room and began their search. Scarlett took one side of the room while Jeremy took the other. Unfortunately her plan to beat Jeremy to the diary and keep it from him failed as he found it first, behind a painting that hung above Elena's bed. "I found it," Jeremy called as he pulled out the diary and sat down on Elena's bed, not realising Scarlett had already been watching him. She didn't join him, instead she just stood and watched as he read the diary, knowing that he was about to find out the truth. That she had been lying to him just as much as his sister.

So Scarlett waited and stood still as she watched Jeremy read each and every line until finally he looked up at her. His eyes were filled with a variety of emotions, but the one that stuck out most was hurt. Hurt by the fact she had lied to him and that his sister had done the same. That she'd known about it all and had only told him part of the story. Then again, the only one that truly knew everything was Sarah and possibly Stefan and Elena depending on how much Sarah had shared with her brother and by extension Elena.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Jeremy asked quietly.

"Tell you what?" Scarlett asked, for some reason deciding to play dumb. She knew it was a mistake the second Jeremy stood up, throwing the diary back down on the bed.

"About my sister and Stefan and his brother and sister. Or how about the fact that one of them erased my memories of whatever happened at the Halloween School Party," Jeremy demanded in outrage. In complete honesty she hadn't given much thought to Jeremy's mind being wiped of those events. It hadn't even really occurred to her at all. She felt stupid for not thinking about it sooner, but even if she had would it have made a difference. She'd told Jeremy her secret, Her secret, not anyone else's. Not Elena's, not, Sarah's, not anyone's. It wasn't her place to give away other people secrets, only her own. How could she after Sarah, Stefan and Elena had gone out of their way to keep her secret.

"It wasn't my place to tell," Scarlett answered as calmly as she could.

"Bullshit," Jeremy snapped. "You told me about your werewolf thing, why not this."

"Because that was my secret, Jeremy, not anyone else's. I may not have liked Elena lying to you but I couldn't break her trust."

"Did she find out about you before I did?" Jeremy asked abruptly.

Scarlett hesitated. "She found out shortly after you… But both Sarah and Stefan knew before you."

"Because they're the vampires?" Jeremy guessed.

"Sarah was there when the werewolf thing started, she helped me," Scarlett explained.

"I could have helped you. But you didn't come to me because you don't trust me!" Jeremy shouted in anger. That was when Scarlett had had enough. She hadn't known Jeremy then the way she now did, even without Sarah she never would have told him. She just didn't know him and now he was yelling at her for not trusting him. Now she trusted him without a second thought when it was about her, but she couldn't do the same with other people's secrets. And he was mad about that! Well, she still had one more bombshell to drop on him.

"You want trust!" Scarlett shouted, her anger erupting inside. "Fine, I'll give you trust! You know that dick of an uncle that was supposably looking after me? Well he's dead." She gave only the briefest of pauses as Jeremy's anger faded away into shock. "I killed him. I killed him and then turned into a wolf for the first time…and if it wasn't for Sarah. I don't know where I'd be right now," Scarlett explained as her eyes began to water. Not for the uncle she'd lost, he'd been dead to her for years, but for her innocence. The fact was she had taken a life and that would never change. She was now, and forever would be, a murderer.

"So there you go, Jeremy. There's that trust you so desperately want. You now know, Everything. You know what I am, you know I'm a murderer and you know I can't be trusted apparently." Jeremy stared at her for a moment and then stepped towards her. "Don't," Scarlett warned as her she brushed away the water from her eyes. He didn't stop and continued on into her arms, wrapping his own around her as he kissed her forehead and learned into her.

"I'm sorry," Jeremy whispered into her ear as he held her. Now he felt like a real jackass.

* * *

"He's leaving." Sarah looked up when Damon spoke, eyes instantly going to John Gilbert who was making his way towards the main exit. Sarah looked to her brother and they both nodded before making their way after him. As they moved through the house, Sarah spotted Alaric with Jenna and motioned for him to follow. While the two vampires continued on, Alaric quickly gave Jenna an excuse to leave and then jogged to catch up with the Salvatores.

"What's the plan?" Alaric asked, eyes focusing on John up ahead.

"Hang back and listen in. We'll do the interrogating," Damon ordered without looking back. Sarah looked over to Damon with a smirk and then pressed on while Alaric hung back a little. Once John stepped out the door, Sarah and Damon closed in while Alaric gave them a wide birth, eyes focused on the three as he walked around them.

"Going somewhere?" Damon asked John as he came up on his left side while Sarah took his right.

"I've never liked to be the last one to leave a party. It's too desperate," John said with a smirk as he continued to walk barely acknowledging them. Good, Sarah thought, let him keep walking till he's far enough away and then she and her brother would finish him for good. She could make it up to Elena later but she couldn't risk a man like John knowing her family's secret.

"You going to kill me again or you gonna let Mr. Saltzman do your dirty work?" John asked as he stopped and turned back to the two vampires, though his eyes continued on to Alaric.

"Okay, you obviously know who I am," Alaric said as he walked over to join the group.

"I do. Alaric Saltzman, a high school history teacher with a secret," John said with the usual smugness that Sarah had come to associate with him.

"Sure know a lot for someone who just got to town," Sarah pointed out observantly with a curious look to John.

"More than you can imagine, Sarah," John said as his eyes moved to the vampire. "My knowledge of this town goes beyond anything that any of you or the council knows," John said as his eyes moved between the three glaring faces. "So, if you're planning on some clever high speed, snatch ring, vamp kill move. Know that if I die, everything I know goes to the council including the fascinating little tale of the original Salvatore siblings and their present day return to Mystic Falls." Sarah tensed at that. Now she couldn't risk killing the man, not if he was threatening to expose them to the whole town, the risk was too high and she wouldn't risk losing her brothers after all they'd been through in the past couple of months.

"How'd you get that ring?" Alaric asked, breaking the silent stares between the vampires and John.

"I inherited one, my brother Gray had the other. This was his," John said as he lifted his hand to show off his own ring. "And I wouldn't have given mine to Isobel if I had known she'd hand it over to another guy."

"So you did know her?" Damon said accusingly.

"Who do you think sent her your way when she wanted to become a vampire?" John asked mockingly, as if it was all so obvious. It didn't get to Sarah as much but he was clearly getting underneath Damon's skin.

"You sent her?" Damon asked, the shock sounding in his voice, despite his best attempts to hide it.

"Guilty. Why, did you think someone else sent her? Maybe Katherine Pierce?" John asked.

Sarah didn't hesitate at the mention of that name. She dashed forwards, hand shooting up to John's throat and tightening around it as she glared into his shocked eyes. Using as little as her strength as she could, Sarah just barely lifted John off the ground so that to anyone else it would look like he was on his tip toes. He began to cough, choking from beneath Sarah's hold. "How do you know about Katherine?" Sarah demanded.

"Careful, Sarah," John warned as his face began to redden. "Wouldn't want to attract to much attention."

"You tell me what you know about Katherine right now or else I'm going to kill you, witnesses or not," Sarah growled back.

"Sarah," Alaric hissed, stepping up to her side. She didn't respond or even look his way, her eyes were fixed on John, determination flooding them. She had to find out what this man knew about Katherine, she had to know what she was up to and what she was planning to do with her family. And if John knew anything, he would tell her, one way or the other.

"Sarah, people are starting to stare," Alaric warned. That caused Sarah to glance around briefly, notting all the eyes that had landed on her and John. She turned back to John, his smirk having returned despite his now red face. He knew he had her beat, and she hated him that much more for it. Then, grudgingly, she put him down, her hand sliding away from his throat as she stepped back in between Damon and Alaric.

"Nice to meet you both officially," John said as he rubbed his throat, speaking to the two vampires. Clearly implying he knew more than he was letting on and that he had a source. More than likely it was Katherine and it took Sarah everything she had not to kill him there and now, just to send the bitch a message.

"A pleasure also, Ric. I've heard so much about you," John said as he tugged at his shirt collar before then turning and walking away. Leaving behind three very irritated people, all now certain in one thing. That they hated John Gilbert.

"We're killing him first chance we get," Sarah declared as she watched John saunter off.

"Agreed," Damon added as he began clenching his fists tightly.

After that Sarah bid farewell to Alaric and told him to say goodbye to Jenna for her. Damon however wasn't as polite and shot off without another word. He was angry and was going to go and hit something, hopefully it wouldn't be something that'd hit back. Sarah however sent Stefan a text about what had happened and then sent one to Elena, making sure that if she saw Stefan before her to tell him to call her or get back to the boarding house. Unlike Stefan, Elena responded quickly enough, telling her she would pass on the message and to call her if she needed any help.

Sarah sent back a thanks before running off into town. After all the drama off the evening and putting up with her stubborn brother, she needed a drink. A bloody drink. So she arrived in the town centre, found a couple hanging outside in the grill and quickly split them up with a simple compulsion. She sent the woman on her way home and took the man into the alley way before having a deep drink. It was so good and relaxing that she almost didn't stop. Thankfully she did and then sent him on his way with some vampire blood. She was in no mood to deal with a dead body.

After that she returned home arriving just as Damon did. "Where have you been?" Sarah asked as they walked up the driveway towards the front door.

"Tailing John," Damon answered through a clenched jaw.

"Find anything?" Sarah asked, though she already had a pretty good idea about the answer.

"No," Damon said tightly as he roughly pushed open the front door, Sarah walking in behind him.

"Need a drink?" Sarah asked as she followed him along to the study.

"I need a lot more than that," Damon growled as he stormed in, quickly pour one glass with bourbon before pulling out another and filling it with blood. "Take you're pick," Damon said as he swung back around to Sarah, holding out both glasses.

"I just ate. Local boy, medium done. I could use a bourbon after that," Sarah said with a smirk as she took the bourbon and sipped at it while Damon drank the blood.

"Surprised to see you in a better mood. Consider the name bomb John just dropped," Damon said as he walked around and dropped down on the couch in front of the fireplace. Clutching her glass, Sarah joined him, bitting down on her teeth before taking a long gulp of her bourbon.

"I had almost forgotten about that…thanks," Sarah said through a clenched jaw as she turned to Damon.

"Sorry." And the strange thing was that Sarah knew he meant it. After all he now knew what she and Stefan had known for hundreds of years, that Katherine was a no good lying, manipulative bitch that ruined their lives as well as their family. And now that he shared their hatred towards the woman, he was becoming a little more sympathetic on the subject. _Lexi must be turning in her grave…or laughing in it_ , Sarah thought with a small smile.

Hearing footsteps behind them, Sarah was snapped from her thoughts as she and Damon looked back to see Stefan slowly making his way into the room. Damon immediately turned away, swirling his glass of blood, but Sarah continued to stare at her brother, watching as he made his way around the room. Something had changed about him, something inside, she could tell. It was like he'd been beat, both physically and mentally. She tried to catch his eye but he was off in his own little world.

"We have a problem, Stefan, and when I say problem I mean global crisis," Damon muttered off while Stefan came to a stop in front of both him and Sarah. It was then Sarah saw it. His eyes. Those forest green eyes came nowhere near her own, rather they moved towards Damon's hand. The one holding the glass of blood.

He'd given in. He'd finally given up and was ready to indulge in what all vampires needed. He'd come to the same realisation she had over a century ago. Blood is how they survive, blood is what they crave, blood is what they need. It was the first in many steps he'd take to get control but he was finally taking that first step rather than stubbornly refusing to move. This was it. The moment Sarah had been waiting for ever since she accepted her life as a vampire and realised Stefan was denying it. They were finally all getting along again like a family, and now Stefan was ready to accept her help. Her dream was finally coming true.

"It seems Uncle John has…" Damon trailed off as he too realised what Sarah already had. "You don't look so good," Damon said as he glanced his younger brother up and down.

"Its different this time, isn't it?" Sarah said as she eyed her brother, a slight smugness to her voice as she smiled quietly at Stefan. "The need's too strong. After all these years of rejecting it, you finally realise you can't fight it." She stood, taking the glass of blood from Damon when he subtly passed it over to her. His small sign of support. "It's alright, Stefy. I'm here, I'll help you. But you can't fight this any longer. It's who you are and it's the best way to keep Elena safe." Finally his eyes lifted from the bloody glass to meet her matching eyes which sparkled when she saw the surrender in his. She took a sip of the blood, leaving a velvet trail of red along her upper lip. She ran her tongue along it, taking in the excess blood while watching Stefan's whole body tremble.

Sarah tilted the glass towards her brother, her eyes daring him to take it and drink. He stared at her for a whole second before breaking down. Then his fingers were around the glass, firmly grasping it before he pulled it from Sarah's loosening grip. She smile as she watched him lift his head back, tilting the glass towards his lips. The red liquid began to slither up the glass, teasing them all in every way possible until the blood finally touched Stefan's lips. One last final sensational shiver from head to toe and Stefan froze. He pulled the glass from his lips, realising what he'd been about to do. He stared at it, a thin red line above his top lip with temptation still glowing in his eyes. Sarah knew he hadn't consumed any otherwise the lust would have vanished from his eyes by now.

But the urge was too strong now, there was no going back for him. It was just a matter of time.

"Have a good night brother," Damon said as he rose from the couch, passing Stefan and patting him on the shoulder. He then glanced over to Sarah, a thin smile on his lips. "Sarah," Damon said with a subtle nod before continuing on, leaving his younger siblings alone in the study.

"Sarah…" Stefan said slowly as his vampire features began to come out, his stare at the blood intensifying.

"Don't worry, Stefan," Sarah said as she cupped his face, bringing his eyes to hers. "I'll help you get through this." Her eyes moved down the glass, her hand moving there also. Then she lifted up Stefan's hand with the blood in it, moving it closer and closer to his forming fangs. "All you have to do…is drink."

And he did.


	24. Blood Control

_Review responses:_

 _Only reviewer: Yes, this can only end well, but Sarah's no fool. And don't worry, Jeremy's a bit better in this one._

 _Charmedbycharmed: I am hoping to have some more Elena/Jeremy, brother/sister moments here since they are few and far between in the show, which is something that always bothered me. But since they're not the focus, I'll only be doing it were appropriate, but hopefully I'll get the chance. P.S. Thanks for the PM and the reminder._

 _So now we're at the Miss Mystic Falls episode. And before any of you get excited, the staircase scene isn't in this part. Sorry. But I have some fun interactions with Sarah and her brothers to make up for it... And some more Scarlett and Jeremy... Alright fine! I'll get back to writing, kinda curious what's going to happen myself so that should be interesting for all of us. I'll try and get part two out end of this week or early next week. Don't want to keep you all waiting to long. ;)_

 _Don't forget to leave a review, I respond to every one and that's the same for PMs. I just love hearing what you all have to say! Hope you all enjoy the latest update to the story and I'll see you later! Enjoy!_

* * *

 **Chapter 24: Blood Control**

* * *

"I still don't see why you couldn't just take your motorcycle," Stefan pointed out as he drove to school in his Porsche. Sarah rolled her head towards her brother, catching a glimpse of Scarlett in the backseat. Raising an eyebrow, she held the look until Stefan glanced her way and then shook his head as he turned back to the road.

"He has a point," Scarlett agreed from the behind. "What's the point in having a bike you never ride?" she asked, leaning forward in between the two vampires.

"Seriously? You're on his side?" Sarah exclaimed as she looked back to Scarlett.

"Well if you drove your bike, then I could sit in the front," Scarlett pointed out with obvious wide eyes.

"Well, it's not going to happen, so if you don't like sitting in the back, you can walk to school," Sarah said with a smug look before turning away.

"Or I could just take the bike myself," Scarlett said as she leaned back folding her arms.

"Don't even think about it," Sarah warned as she glanced back, feeling Stefan's teasing smile from beside her. "Because werewolf or not, I will make your life a misery if you so much as look at my bike without my permission."

"What's the big deal about this bike?" Scarlett asked, staring back at Sarah with a frown.

"It's personal," Sarah said as she once again turned away.

"Boy personal?' Scarlett asked nosily.

"Yes," Stefan answered before Sarah could stop him.

"Say another word and I'll push you out this car," Sarah warned as she shot a glare at Stefan who smiled back smugly.

"Maybe next time you can take your bike then," he teased. Scarlett laughed from the back seat and even Sarah grinned back at her brother. Despite the mocking coming her way, she was happy to see her brother back in a good mood after the past few days. So far things had been going pretty well. She'd been keeping an eye on him and so far he hadn't slipped up. He'd been keeping to the diet plan Sarah had designed for him, drinking only when he was supposed to. He had been panicking at some points over the hunger but that was too be expected at this stage. Hopefully after a month or two he'd have it all under control and could regulate his drinking times to when it suited him.

Sarah would almost go as far as to say she was proud of him.

Pulling into the parking lot outside the school, Stefan turned the wheel and brought the car smoothly into the waiting parking spot. "Thanks for the ride, Stefan," Scarlett said as Sarah climbed out and the teenage ward pushed the seat forward so she could get out.

"No problem, Scarlett," Stefan said with a smile as he climbed out his own side.

"Catch you two later," Scarlett said as she slung her bag over her shoulder and made her way towards the school.

"You want a lift after school?" Stefan called after her as he walked around the car to join Sarah.

"Nah, think I'll go for a run," Scarlett said with a smirk before turning away from the two vampires and heading into the school.

"They grow up so fast," Stefan teased as Sarah slapped the back of her hand against his chest.

"You're hilarious. Now stop it," Sarah said with a slight seriousness to her voice. Funny din't suit her brother.

"Nice car." The two vampires turned to find Elena making her way towards them. Her bag slung over her shoulder and two books held tightly in her arms, along with a ever present smile when she was near Stefan.

"Thought it was a waste to leave it in the garage," Stefan said as he gestured to the car before leaning in and kissing Elena. Sarah politely looked away for a few seconds before turning back as the teenage couple parted, both smiling away at each other. "Didn't want it to end up like Sarah's bike."

"Watch it," Sarah warned with a stern finger point while Elena giggled.

"Hi, Sarah," Elena greeted her.

"Hey, Elena," Sarah said as she let the girl hug her when she came in. While they hugged, Sarah said, "Thank you," and then pulled away.

Elena frowned back, not entirely sure why she had been thanked. As far as she knew, she hadn't done anything. However the frown quickly disappeared with a few blinks of the eye and her smile returned. "I didn't know you were coming back today," Elena said as she focused on Stefan.

"You know, I woke up this morning and I was feeling great and I figured it was time for me to get back into things," Stefan said confidently as he smiled back at Elena while glancing over to his sister.

"Does that mean you're okay now, with all the cravings?" Elena asked, a mild concerned frown.

"He's got it under control now," Sarah chimed in.

"Yeah–Yeah, the worst part is definitely over," Stefan followed before Sarah could get another word out. Her brow furrowing as she turned her eyes to Stefan. Considering how he'd been acting two seconds ago, that seemed like a little bit of a jump she thought. It might have just been a hiccup, the result of him still adjusting to the diet, but he'd been fine up until Elena started asking about his cravings. "Now all I want to do is just spend as much time with you as possible," Stefan continued.

"I'm okay with that," Elena said with a giddy smile before the two pressed their lips to each other. Sarah politely turned her head again, smiling to herself while waiting for the two to finish. Thankfully when she turned back to the couple they had managed to pull themselves away from each other.

"Sorry," Elena said with a sheepish smile to Sarah.

"It's fine," Sarah said with a nod. "Just, try to keep the public displays of affection to a minimum."

"I wish I could keep that promise," Stefan said as he brought Elena's gaze back to, the two now staring dreamingly at each other again.

"And that's my cue to leave," Sarah said as she turned on her heels and made her way towards the school. But then a thought occurred to her and she veered off to the side, hiding off to the side while Stefan and Elena began to move off to class. Then Stefan mentioned he left something in the car and told Elena to go on without him. Waiting off to the side, Sarah watched as Elena made her way into the building while Stefan returned to the trunk of his car. He popped open the trunk and reached inside, giving Sarah the perfect cover to sneak up on him.

She vamp speeded up to the side of the car and leaned down on the side, managing to get a look inside and spotting several blood bags in the trunk. When Stefan then closed the lid, he jumped upon seeing Sarah who smiled smugly back at him.

"Elena doesn't know, does she?" Sarah said knowingly as Stefan visibly tensed.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Stefan said defensively as Sarah lifted her brow up in amusement.

"Oh, really?" Sarah said sarcastically. "So I guess you'll have no problem with me getting Elena and bringing her back here to see your trunk full of blood," she continued gesturing to the trunk before turning to grab Elena only to find Stefan stood in front of her with a serious look on his face.

"Alright, fine. I haven't told her," Stefan sighed in defeat.

"Why not?" Sarah asked, a tad more sympathetic than before.

"I just…I don't want her to see me differently," Stefan said slowly as he glanced down at the ground almost shamefully.

"She won't, Stefan. I promise," Sarah said with reassuring eyes. He smiled softly back at her, though she could still see the worry in his eyes. "And don't worry, I won't tell her. I'm not Damon after all," Sarah added with a grin.

"Thank you."

"But if she asks me, I'm not going to lie to her, Stefan. After everything we've dragged her through the past few months, you really shouldn't be lying to her," Sarah pointed out.

"I know. And I am going to tell. I just need some time first," Stefan explained.

"Alright. And as long as you stick to your diet, I won't get involved," Sarah agreed. "Now come on, let's get to class," Sarah said, turning to leave before Stefan grabbed her arm and turned her back.

"Damon doesn't know, right?" Stefan asked through a tight voice.

"Not that I'm aware off, but I'm pretty sure he can put two and two together, Stefy."

"Just, don't tell him either, please," Stefan begged.

"Fine, whatever. But I'm only agreeing to this because he'll find out on his own anyway. Besides, he's been wanting you to feed just like me, I don't think he'd be upset by it," Sarah said as the brother and sister began to walk into the school.

"It's more the never ending smugness that has me worried," Stefan answered as the realisation hit Sarah along with an understanding sigh.

From there they made their way to class, just making it before the late bell rang. Thankfully they were in History class with Alaric, who after everything they'd been through together couldn't really give them detention for being late. He sent the two vampires a small smile as they made their way into the room and over to their desks. Stefan naturally took the seat next to Elena and Sarah took the seat in front of him.

As she sat down, she glanced over at Elena and the two shared a smile before she pulled out her history book, ready to start the lesson. "Okay, this week we're gonna set aside our regular curriculum for a lesson in local history as we approach Founders' Day. Apparently the community leaders feel it's more important than World War 2 but hey, what do I know?" Alaric said, starting off the lesson. Sarah and a few others in the class chuckled at that, agreeing that it was in fact a joke how serious Mystic Falls took it's own history in comparison to the rest of the world's.

Alaric had just been about to continue when the door to the classroom opened and everyone turned to see Bonnie enter. She stepped in, closing the door behind and smiling softly to the rest of the room before moving to take her seat next to Elena. "Sorry I'm late," Bonnie murmured as she passed Alaric.

"Well, it looks like we will be at full occupancy today. Welcome home, Bonnie," Alaric greeted her as she passed, dropping down into her seat. While Alaric continued with the lesson, Sarah, Stefan and Elena looked over to Bonnie with friendly smiles. However Bonnie only smiled timidly back at Elena before her smile dropped all together. Sarah glanced over to Stefan and him to her, both sharing confused looks before looking back over to Bonnie to find she was now ignoring them. The two Salvatore vampires then glanced over to Elena who frowned in equal confusion back at them.

They never got a chance to ask Bonnie what the problem was. She was gone from the classroom before they could even say her name. Stefan had offered to go and find her for Elena but she politely asked the two vampires to hold off on talking to Bonnie until she had. They both understood. Neither of them had spoken to Bonnie since the death of her grandmother which they were partly to blame for. So maybe it was for the best they stay out of the witch's path for now and let her best friend talk to her while they went about their school day.

And that's just what Sarah and Stefan did. Sarah stuck to her classes, keeping an eye on Stefan when they shared a lesson together. But like every other day so far, he handled his diet perfectly. Only drinking from the blood bags in his trunk when Sarah was with him and when he was scheduled too. Sarah had decided it was best to sit with him while he fed, just to make sure he was pacing himself and not getting to into the feeding proses. He had agreed to the idea, not that it seemed like he needed any help from what she could see. Although she imagined he preferred having her there as a safety net, particularly since they were at school and out in the open. Last thing he wanted to do was lose control and start attacking innocent teenagers in the middle of broad daylight.

Still, everything went fine and before they knew it, the day was over and the two were heading for home in Stefan's Porsche. As Scarlett had suggested earlier that morning, she indeed had decided to go for a run…in her wolf form. Sarah promised to leave a spare change of cloths for her out behind the house so that when she came home she'd have something to change into. She still wasn't found of the idea of Scarlett changing near the house though. It was far too easy for Damon to spot or hear her and then her secret would be out. But when she had brought it up to her ward, Scarlett had stood her ground and pointed out it was her decision to make. And, well…Sarah couldn't very well argue with that. At least if she continued to help Scarlett then the chance of Damon finding out about her was reduced a little.

Arriving back at the house, Sarah walked in along with Stefan before dropping her bag on a waiting chair and continuing on up to her room. However before either she or Stefan could reach the staircase, Damon came out from behind them and called out to them. "How was school?"

"Fine," Stefan replied as he turned around to answer. As for Sarah she had already stepped around and was on the second step of the stairs, so she just leaned over the railing and looked towards her two brothers.

"Yeah? Same old, same old? Nothing new? No stories to bring home?" Damon asked, which was odd, and not just because he never asked about their day…like ever. But something in the way he was eyeing Stefan made Sarah suspicious of his motives.

"Did you get hit on the head or something?" Sarah asked from her elevated position.

"No," Damon scoffed back while his younger siblings shared a look, both knowing he was up to something. "Is it such a strange thing for me to show an interest in your lives?" Damon asked innocently.

"Yes," both Stefan and Sarah answered at the same time as Damon mocked an offend look.

"So, why the sudden interest?" Stefan asked as he shoved his hands into his pockets.

"It's just, you seem awfully chipper lately, less doom and gloom, a little more pep in your step," Damon said eagerly as he edged towards his brother.

"And you think it's because I drank human blood again?" Stefan asked as he gestured to himself.

"I don't want to brag but I would definitely take responsibility – along with Sarah of course – for this new and improved you," Damon said in between gesturing to Sarah and Stefan.

"How nice of you to share credit," Sarah said teasingly as Damon shot her a fake smile.

"Well, I hate to burst both your bubbles, but I'm clean," Stefan said before looking between the two. Of course, Sarah knew he was only saying that to throw Damon off his trail.

"Yeah, not possible," Damon said confidently with a small shake of his head, not believing a word of it.

"Not only is it possible but it is quite true," Stefan replied with an almost smugness to his voice.

"Stefan, just be serious for a second. You spent the last century and a half being a poster child for Prozac and now you expect me and Sarah to believe that this new you has nothing to do with human blood…Nothing," Damon pressed as he glared at Stefan. "Come on, Sarah, back me up here."

"He does have a point, Stefy," Sarah agreed as she looked down at her brother. She couldn't very well argue with Damon, that would give the game away. She still didn't see any point in hiding it from Damon but if Stefan wanted to then she was more than happy to play along. "Why don't the three of us go out for a bite? Anyone for cheerleader?"

"Oh, oh! Me, me!" Damon said with mocking enthusiasm which Sarah returned with a sarcastic smile.

"Well, you two can go ahead without me, 'cause I'm clean," Stefan said as he held his hands up.

"You're lying," Damon said pointedly as he leaned in towards his little brother.

"Believe what you want," Stefan said with a shrug before making his way around the banister, passing Sarah and heading up the stairs to his room. Sarah watched him go before looking back down to an irritated Damon, upset that he hadn't broken Stefan down yet.

"Relax, Damon. He'll break sooner or later," Sarah said with a smirk before making her way up the stairs before Damon could reply.

After that fun session of family bonding, Sarah spent some time in her room getting her homework done. Or at least the part she hadn't compelled someone else to do. After all she had done most of it before, so if any repeats came up then she just got someone else to do it for her and she'd do the new bits. Learning might not be her first choice of things to do but it had proved useful at points in her life. Like Stefan she had gone back to school multiple times over her lifetime. Some might think being trapped in a teenage body your whole life would drive you insane but Sarah had learned to love it, especially considering the amount of times Lexi had expressed her jealousy since she couldn't repeat high school at the age she was. However, constantly getting asked for ID at bars did get old pretty fast.

From above, she could hear Stefan chatting away to Elena on the phone. He was just too far away for her to make out what Elena was saying down the phone, but everything Stefan said came through clear enough. From what she heard, Sarah assumed it had something to do with Miss Mystic Fall, something she had fortunately avoided. Even when she was human she hadn't been fond of the idea of being shown off like that, but her father hadn't really left her much of a choice in the whole thing. She'd been all but ready to get it over and done with and then move on…until Katherine had shown up.

Hearing Stefan go silent and that he was making his way down the stairs, Sarah quickly finished up her homework before moving out to catch up to him. Call it nosey, but she wanted to hear Elena's thoughts on the Miss Mystic pageant, too see if they coincided with her own. She couldn't really imagine Elena would be alright with it, but she had been a different person before the Salvatores had dragged her down into their world. But if she didn't want to take part in it, Sarah was more than willing to help get her out of it. She felt she owed her in a way for helping to get Stefan back on human blood, despite the fact she hadn't really done anything. Well, other than feed Stefan her blood so he could survive and save Scarlett.

In any case, she followed Stefan's foot steps down to the basement. She had no idea why on earth he was down there but it kicked her curiosity up a notch. She was all but ready to start asking her questions when she turned the corner and saw Stefan standing over an open fridge packed full with blood bags. The light from the fridge reflecting off his face and giving him almost a demonic look. Something which looked very creep on Sarah's brother.

"Stefan?" Sarah said as she approached her brother who looked up with mild shock in his eyes. Sarah stared at him as she walked over before then looking back into the fridge, then back to her brother. "What is this?" she demanded.

"It's just a stash of blood bags is all," Stefan shrugged as if it was nothing.

"Yeah, but it's not mine," Sarah snapped back, anger starting to fill her voice.

"Must be Damon's then," Stefan said again in that same irritatingly calm tone.

"It's not. I know where all Damon's stashes are," Sarah said before looking back to the huge amount of blood bags. "Where did this all come from?" she asked as she grabbed one of the bags and lifted it up for Stefan to see. Again he shrugged and Sarah felt her blood boil in instant anger at her brother lying to her like this.

"I don't know," he answered.

"Well, well," came the familiar voice of their older brother from behind. "He's a liar and a thief," Damon declared as his two younger siblings turned to face him, having being caught red handed.

"What are you talking about?" Sarah demanded as she turned to her eldest brother.

"Your little pet project over there has been stealing blood bags from the hospitals," Damon declared as he stepped out of the shadows and over to join his siblings by the fridge.

"You've what?" Sarah snapped as whirled around to glare at her brother who still wasn't reacting.

"What's the big deal? So I refiled our blood stock," Stefan replied with another shrug that was really starting to make Sarah want to punch him.

"This isn't our blood stock!" Sarah snapped. "And you don't need to worry about this because I'm handling your blood supply. All you need to worry about is sticking to your schedule." Stefan's gaze drifted for a second before snapping back to his sister's. She might not have noticed but Damon certainly did.

"Ah…" Damon sighed knowingly, a smug smile forming on his lips.

"What?" Sarah asked as she glanced back at Damon who stared at Stefan knowingly. "What?" she repeated as she turned back to Stefan who was avoiding her gaze.

"Looks like someone's been sipping a little extra blood when his sister's not being looking," Damon said, spelling it out for Sarah who began to glare at Stefan who continued to avoid her gaze. For a moment Sarah could believe it, the Stefan she knew would never pull something like this. No emotion Stefan would have done it without a second thought but his humanity was on. He'd been lying to her for days and she never even picked up on it.

"So, I've had a little extra blood. It's not a big deal," Stefan said as he closed his eyes and shrugged for the umpteenth time.

"You're right. Who cares, drink up," Damon said sarcastically with a smile to match before he leaned over and his face turned serious. "Just remember, we're trying to keep a low profile. Why don't you just walk up to Sheriff Forbes and ask her to tap a vein?" Damon snapped while Sarah continued to stare at Stefan, still processing what had been revealed to her.

"Have my actions negatively impacted you? I can't imagine what that must feel like," Stefan said sarcastically as he grinned at Damon before turning on Sarah. "Or to have someone pretend to be on your side and then have them stab you in the back. I mean it's not like either of you have ever done that to me before."

"Yeah, what's Elena think about the new…you?" Damon asked after glancing Stefan up and down as Sarah finally snapped from her thoughts and folded her arms, still glaring at her arrogant brother.

"Nothing's changed; I'm still the same person," Stefan said as he took a step back, still looking confident.

"Clearly," Damon said with a roll of the eyes before sharing a look with his sister.

"Elena doesn't need to know anything yet."

"No, no, I think she does," Sarah spoke up, attitude in her voice now. Stefan's face darkened at that. "Seen, as I recall, we made a deal that if you broke your diet then I'd tell Elena about your little blood problem."

"I haven't got a problem," Stefan said, his voice now tense.

"Of course not!" Sarah yelled, holding up the blood bag in her hand before throwing it back down int the fridge. "That's why our fridge is full of stolen blood bags from the hospital!"

"I have it under control," Stefan said as he finally met his sister's gaze, tension vanishing from his voice suddenly.

"No, you don't," Sarah said with a sorry look to her brother as she shook her head.

"Look, I know that it pains both of you to see this but I'm fine, okay? I'm fine," Stefan said as he stepped towards his siblings before reaching in and pulling out a blood bag for himself. "So please, do me a favour and back off," Stefan said with a forced smile before pushing his way between Sarah and Damon and leaving the basement while his brother and sister watched him go. Once gone, the two shared a look of concern before looking back to the staircase. They both knew this wasn't going to end well.

For the rest of the night Sarah did what she could to keep an eye on Stefan but now that his secret was out he was doing his best to avoid both her and Damon. Then before she knew it it was time for bed. Deciding she could deal with Stefan tomorrow, she went to bed and left Stefan to deal with his blood problem himself. And then of course she slept in. Then again she wasn't all the surprised since she'd been up until three listening on Stefan, knowing that the second she stopped he'd grab another blood bag. That had been exactly what he did but by that point Sarah didn't care.

Muttering curses to herself as she rushed around her room gather her things and getting dressed, Sarah was all but ready to go when she heard someone at the front door. She started running at vamp speed but then stopped on the last step when she heard John Gilbert speak. "Hey partner!" Sarah's eyes widened and she peered around the corner to see John saunter into the living room with Damon behind him. She managed to catch Damon's eye and mouthed, "What's he doing here?" to which Damon shrugged and shock his head, clearly not sure himself. From there he followed John into the living room and Sarah vamp speeded up to the side of the archway, listening in and ready to rush in if John made any move against her brother. So what if she was late? There was no way in hell she was leaving Damon alone with this vampire hater.

"What do you want?" Damon demanded.

"You haven't return any of my calls," John answered simply.

"Most people take that as a hint," Damon replied causing Sarah to grin at her brother's back talk.

"Where do we start looking for vampires?" John asked making Sarah frown. _What the hell was Damon doing helping John Gilbert look for vampires?_ she wondered but still remained quiet.

"Why the act, John? You obviously don't care about catching vampires, you're here talking to me," Damon pointed out.

"Actually, I care very much," John countered, now sounding more serious than his original playful self when he first walked in.

"What'd Isobel say about that? I mean, considering that she is one," Damon argued causing John to go silent for a moment.

"Isobel and I share a mutual interest. The original Jonathan Gilbert has an invention that was stolen by a vampire. That vampire was then burned alive in Fell's church, or so Jonathan thought and the invention was lost forever. But then the vampires weren't killed, were they? They were trapped and now they're free, thanks to you which means the invention is retrievable," John explained to Damon as he hummed along.

"What is it?" Damon asked nosily.

"The only thing that matters is that I want it back and you're going to help me if you want your secret safe," John warned. Sarah clenched her fists and clamped down on her teeth, thinking about how easy it would be to run in there and kill him. But then he probably have a fall back plan that they'd have no way of stopping. She was really starting to hate this guy.

"Why bring me into it, John? I mean, I don't know what you are talking about much less who has it," Damon pointed out.

"Oh, come on, Damon," John chuckled. "You were around back then, you know who these people are, what they look like. He was friendly with a woman who turned out to be a vampire. Her name was Pearl. Does that ring a bell?" Another pause as Sarah prayed Damon had improved on his poker face, especially with John stood right opposite him, studying every one of his facial muscles.

"I'm not playing anymore," Damon suddenly declared as he marched back out into the hallway and opened up the front door. "Get out," Damon ordered, holding open the front door. Worrying that John might spot her, Sarah ran off back to the cover off the stairs and began to focus her hearing while remaining out of sight.

"I beg your pardon?" John said, a little caught off guard.

"You know, I only entertained this whole blackmail scheme thing of yours because I thought that you and Isobel could lead me to Katherine but see, now I know you've got no idea where Katherine is, because if you did you would know that Katherine and Pearl were best friends. See, you don't know everything, do you, John?" Damon snarled as he marched back into the living room and up into John's face.

"I'll tell the entire council what you and your siblings are," threatened John.

"Go for it!" Damon snapped. "I'll kill every last one of them. Then I'll sever your hand, pull your ring off and I'll kill you too. Do you understand that?" Damon snarled as he got up into John's face. Sarah would have slapped Damon had John not been in the same room. That was just about the most impulsive and stupidest thing he'd done this week. What made him think he could make a threat like that and walk away scot free. Then surprisingly, that's what happened. John bid him good day and then left without another word.

That was when Sarah came out from her hiding spot and walked over to meet Damon in the hallway. "Well that could have gone worse," Damon muttered as he turned to face his sister.

"Oh, yeah. Maybe next time you could actually cut off a few of his fingers just to make the point to stick," Sarah growled before whacking the back of Damon's head.

"Ow!" he snapped rubbing the back of his head as he glared at his sister.

"Now next time the guy threatens to out us to the entire town, how about instead of having a pissing contest with the guy you actually come up with a plan to turn this to our advantage," Sarah snapped.

"I have a plan," Damon said defensively as his hand dropped from his head.

"Is that plan piss off everyone until you find a lead back to Katherine?" Sarah demanded as she tilted her head to one side.

"No," Damon said moodily before stalking off into the living room while Sarah made her way out the front door and off to school, which she was now very late for. Once Sarah arrived she began searching through the hallways for her brother, in between classes. She never found him. He was getting far to good at avoiding her for her liking. She hated not being able to find her brother as easily as she used too. She must be losing her touch since she settled back into Mystic Falls.

Eventually she found out from Caroline that he had been off assassinating Elena with Miss Mystic pageant stuff. For most of the day they'd been dealing with dance lessons, the same dance Sarah had hated when she was first forced into the pageant back in her time. The dreaded thought have having to go through that again made her want to groan and scream. Thankfully she was having nothing to do with the Miss Mystic pageant and thus was more than happy to avoid it and wait for Stefan to come out.

But the sneaky little trouble maker managed to get around her and ran off before Sarah could stop him. She caught sight of Elena who sent her a look of confusion. Sarah sent an apologetic look back before racing off after her brother before Elena could get to her. She ran outside and scanned the area before her eyes found Stefan in the parking lot. He was frozen, staring off towards a group off football players. One of which had a bleeding knee.

"Oh, no," Sarah murmured before vamp speeding over to her brother and grabbing her brother's shoulder. She was about to say his name when Stefan turned on her, grabbing her and shoving her up against a nearby car, his fangs forming in his mouth. "Stefan," Sarah croaked as Stefan's hand wrapped around her throat, an animal like growl escaping his mouth. "Stefan…it's me," Sarah gasped, giving him one last chance to come to his senses before she turned the tables on him. When he refused to give in, Sarah growled back and kicked him in the crotch fast and hard. He buckled, backing up before Sarah slammed her fist into his throat causing him to stumble back. And then a final punch dropped him onto his back.

"Sarah!" Sarah turned to find Alaric running towards her as well as several students staring her way.

"Crap," Sarah groaned as Alaric came to a stop beside, looking at Stefan as he sat up on the ground, rubbing his aching face.

"What's going on here?" Alaric demanded.

"Nothing, Ric. Just go," Sarah snapped as she grabbed Stefan and helped him up to his feet.

"Hey, while we're on school property, it's Mr Saltzman," Alaric snapped with a serious look to Sarah who just glared back, in no mood for statements like that.

"Shut up, Ric," Sarah snapped again before shoving Stefan off towards his car and following him while Alaric glared after the two, watching as Sarah drove them off in Stefan's Porsche.

The ride home was silent for the two vampires. The only sounds were the revving of the car engine as Sarah drove and the addict like trembling coming from Stefan every now and then. A couple of times during the ride, Sarah would look over with a concerned look only to have Stefan shoot her an angry one back. She'd turn away after that. He hated her, she could see it all over his face. Of course that was just the lack of blood, the cravings for it, the tingling itch under his skin that he could only scratch with the sweat taste of blood. What Stefan failed to realise was that she and Damon battled with the same thing every day. Only they had it under control. He didn't.

She'd always being pushing him to feed, for as long as she could remember. But it was only now she was realising that ever time she had pushed him, Lexi was the one who had to clean it up. She had been the one to get him back on track, to reel him back in. Sarah always got mad at her for that but inevitably made up again before the cycle repeated. Now without Lexi, Sarah was seeing first hand how bad he would get. With Lexi around Sarah and Stefan would drink to their hearts content until she'd show up and put a stop to it. If Sarah did help to get him off the stuff, Lexi was still the one doing most of the work. And now she could see why Lexi was always trying to get her to stop pushing blood on him. Because he couldn't handle it and he never would be able to handle it. He was like the little brother in that sense, and Sarah pitted him. He had to be one, or the other. At one of the extremes with no room for middle ground. She'd tried to help but now she was beginning to see that maybe she couldn't help him that way.

Once they arrived home, Stefan exited the car and vanished up to his room. Sarah gave him an hour to himself to cool off before heading up to confront him. She'd decided to give him one final chance to accept her help and to try and get this thing under control once and for all. If he didn't like that, then she'd just have to do what she'd said she would. Go and tell Elena. She knew it was going to take a lot more than that to get Stefan off human blood and back to his old self but every plan needed to start somewhere. Besides, she couldn't imagine Lexi put that much thought into her plans when she fixed Stefan.

Slowly pushing open the door, Sarah made her way into Stefan's room to find him standing over by one of the windows. Arm reaching up above the frame, leaning on it as he stared out the window. His suit for the Miss Mystic Pageant was laid out on his bed so he clearly hadn't been stood about doing nothing for the whole last hour. Maybe he was contemplating not going, which now that she thought about it, wouldn't be such a bad idea.

"What do you want?" Stefan asked without turning from the window, his tone the same clam cool one he'd used in the basement yesterday. The one that irritated Sarah to no end.

"I'm giving you one last chance to accept my help," Sarah said as she folded her arms, suddenly now feeling like a mother to her brother. Sadly, it hadn't been the first time since they turned that she'd had that feeling. That however, came with the territory, especially when you spent most of your life trying to reunite the family which consisted of two brothers who hated one another.

"I don't need your help. I've got it under control," Stefan said with that level voice once more.

"Fine, I gave you your chance," Sarah said as she turned to leave.

"So what now?" Stefan asked, still refusing to turn around.

"Now I do what Lexi would want me to," Sarah said as she reached the door.

"Please," Stefan said with a cold laugh. Sarah stopped, one hand on the door with on foot outside while the other was in. She looked back over her shoulder to see Stefan had turned to face her, a smug knowing smile now on his lips. "You've spent almost as much time trying to get me to drink blood as you have trying to reunite this family. So what, now your going to stop me from drinking blood?"

"I was wrong, Stefan. Lexi was right, you never needed human blood to be whole. I thought you did but now I'm thinking that was just my ego." Sarah paused, lowering her gaze as she quietly added on at the end, "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Stefan replied, causing Sarah to look up at her brother's serious eyes. "Just stay out of it. I know what I'm doing and I don't need you or anyone else to try and fix me." With that said he then turned back to the window, leaving Sarah to stare at him for a few moments longer before turning and heading down the stairs.

If that was his attitude then Sarah was fine with it. But she was still going to tell Elena about what was going on. She'd need the help if she was going to break Stefan down into his old self and God knew Damon wasn't going to be of any use. Thankfully she knew she could count on Elena, at least in things that concerned Stefan.

* * *

For the Miss Mystic Pageant, Scarlett had donned a dark blue dress that reached down to her knees with thin blue straps over her shoulders. As for her hair, she had it pulled over to one side, flowing down the front of her shoulder and covering one of the straps. Her eyes blended in well with the dress and had some stylish sneakers on that she was pretty sure she could get away with. She hated wearing heels and thankful Jeremy hadn't asked 'cause if he had she probably would have. She knew everyone else would be looking and judging her but Jeremy was the only one she cared about impressing. Over her dress she had a black blouse that she had fished out of Sarah's wardrobe, though she had muttered something about needing to get Scarlett more cloths so that she would stop taking hers. Scarlett was already dreading that, however, when she arrived at the Miss Mystic Pageant, she was even more depressed.

She was really contemplating running off into the woods, turning into a wolf and fleeing before Jeremy could spot her. But that wouldn't be fair to Jeremy. He was being forced to attend everyone of these stinking events, the least she could do was show up to a few off them and keep him company. She owed him that much after everything that had gone down. They'd forgiven each other for what had been said but Jeremy was refusing to forgive his sister. Scarlett had tried to get him to talk to her but he just wasn't having it. She understood why but that didn't mean she had to agree with it. She had considered going to Elena herself and telling her what was going on but since she had to chose between going behind Jeremy's back or Elena's, she'd rather stay by Jeremy's side.

Now wasn't the time to be thinking about that though, she was hear to help Jeremy, not make him more miserable than he already was. So Scarlett made her way through the house and out to the backyard where she found Jeremy by himself at a table, sipping on a glass of orange juice that had been poured into a champagne flute. "What do you think?" Scarlett asked as she approached Jeremy, gesturing to the dress she had on. Jeremy awed at her before then smiling and snickering when he saw her feet.

"Nice shoes," Jeremy teased as he looked back up.

"Shut up," Scarlett shot back as she leaned down on the table Jeremy was at. She glanced around at the socialising partiers and frowned before turning back to Jeremy. "So what exactly do you do at these…things."

"Just stand around and talk mostly," Jeremy said with a shrug.

"Sounds like hell," Scarlett mumbled.

"It is," Jeremy replied with a chuckle that made Scarlett smile back at him.

"Well, someone's looking a lot happier." Scarlett groaned silently as she rolled my eyes at the familiar voice of John Gilbert. Luckily she managed to wipe the look from her face before John came into view and joined them both at the table. "Hey, Scarlett" John greeted her before making a show of looking down at her feet. "Nice shoes," he said sarcastically.

"I think I'll get myself a drink," Scarlett said with a pointed look to Jeremy before pushing away from the table and heading back towards the house. Jeremy called her name but was then silenced by John. Scarlett could tell the man wasn't an idiot, he knew she didn't like him, and for some reason she had a feeling that he knew what she was. Or at the very least was suspicious about her which wasn't good. She wasn't worried about Jeremy ratting her out. He was just as wary of his uncle as she was. Even so though, there was no harm in listening.

Leaning on of the drinks tables that was off to the side, Scarlett collected herself a glass and took a sip before focusing her hearing while rolling her black crystal necklace back and forth in her free hand.

"I don't really care what you think of her. It's none of your business," Jeremy snapped at his uncle who held up his hands defensively.

"Sorry, sorry." A pause in the conversation as Jeremy glanced over towards Scarlett. She brushed back her hair which was perfectly fine, subtly motioning to her ear as she did. When her eyes reconnected with Jeremy's she knew he'd gotten the message. He then turned back to his uncle as Scarlett turned away, acting casual as she continued to listen in.

"You mentioned you know a lot about the family. You know anything about our ancestor Jonathan Gilbert?" Jeremy asked.

"Prolific writer, crazy inventor. Why do you ask?" The suspicion was clear in his voice but Jeremy didn't seem to notice. He was naive like that, though not stupid.

"Well, I read his journal," Jeremy answered.

"Is that right?" John said, sounding intrigued.

"Yeah, I actually found it in all dad's stuff."

"Well, that's surprising. Most of them are locked away."

"There are more of them?" Jeremy said eagerly.

"Jonathan Gilbert journaled his whole life. Right down to the bitter, insane, drunken end. He had a lot of demons."

"And did you read them?" Jeremy asked.

"I've browsed, yeah," John admitted.

"What did you think about what he wrote?" Jeremy asked a little to eagerly. Scarlett would have to have words with him about how to control himself around his uncle. He had to be careful about what he said and how he acted around his uncle. One wrong move and her secret could be completely exposed without Jeremy even knowing.

"Crazy ramblings of a mad man, of course," John finally answered.

"Aren't all Gilberts a little mad." At the sound of that voice, Scarlett felt her the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. Her eyes widened and she felt fear shoot through her as her eyes flashed golden. She wheeled around arm shooting out as her hand clamped around the young looking girl's throat. It took everything Scarlett had not to growl at the vampire she was face now. "Easy," Anna croaked, her hands grabbing Scarlett's as she carefully tried to pull herself free without drawing attention.

"What are you doing here," Scarlett demand in a low voice as he levelled her gaze, pushing Anna back until she hit the wall of the house.

"I'm just here to…to…" A painful sigh. "Could you let me go, please?"

"No," Scarlett answered, her claws forming as she dug her nails into Anna's throat.

"Alright, alright!" Anna quickly said until Scarlett retracted her claws, letting Anna have some breathing room so she could answer. "I came here to…apologise."

"You what?" Scarlett hissed in confusion.

"I came to apologise. After everything I put you and Jeremy through I figured I owed you both an apology." Confusion took over Scarlett's face as she studied the vampire. From everything she was seeing and hearing, Anna was being completely honest, but for the life of her Scarlett couldn't understand why. _Was this just another trick to get close to her and Jeremy?_ Scarlett wondered. It had been a over a week since she last ran into the vampire. Even when she'd attacked the vampire house with the others to save Stefan, Anna hadn't been around. The last time she'd seen her was when everything was revealed to Jeremy, since then she had been scarce. And now here she was, asking to be forgiven after everything she'd done.

Slowly, Scarlett released her hold on Anna, taking a step back while keeping her gaze on Anna who was catching her breath. "Thank you," Anna said as she rubbed her throat.

"Why are you apologising?" Scarlett asked, eyeing the vampire with a frown.

"Because I want to stay here," Anna explained.

"Well that's not going to happen," Scarlett growled.

"Look, me and my mom just want to start a life. I've managed to convince her to let me stay here and live a normal life. But in order to do that I need to make sure no ones going to be coming after us because of things we might have done in the past."

"Might?" Scarlett snapped advancing on Anna again. "There is no question of 'might'. You did do horrible things to me and Jeremy."

"I know. And I'm sorry… But I just wanted my mom back. I know you lost your mom too. So can you honestly tell me you wouldn't do anything in your power to get her back if you could?" Anna asked, thin lines of tears forming in her eyes. Scarlett just stared back at the vampire. She knew she would do anything to get her mother back. But her mom was gone, dead because of what her father had done. Now all she had was Jeremy, Sarah and a few other friends. She could understand why Anna did what she did and why she wanted to move on from everything that had happened. But if it meant putting the only people Scarlett had left in danger, could she really do it? Honestly? Scarlett wasn't sure she could.


	25. Miss Mystic Falls

_Review responses:_

 _Only reviewer: I think Sarah __will always have her hands full with her brothers, or the very least one of them, Lol. And now we get to see how Scarlett Anna plays out..._

 _And now it's here! The big moment that I'm hoping you've been looking forward too. Now it might not go how you think, but I'm hoping the ending will make up for that, so sorry in advance. But being consistent, I really enjoyed this second part, bar maybe the first section, I had a lot of fun with it and have set up some more stuff for you guys, so please, enjoy!_

 _Don't forget to leave a review, I respond to every one and that's the same for PMs. I just love hearing what you all have to say! Hope you all enjoy the latest update to the story and I'll see you later!_

* * *

 **Chapter 25: Miss Mystic Falls**

* * *

The second she arrived at the Miss Mystic Pageant, Sarah had tried to get up the stairs to speak to Elena but had instantly been caught by Carol Lockwood. The woman had expressed her disappointment at Sarah having not entered the Miss Mystic Pageant and that if she had been told sooner then she could have tried to squeeze her in. Sarah hadn't really cared and was trying to tell Mrs. Lockwood that, but no matter what she said, the woman refused to let her leave.

Having spotted Damon, she tried to get him to come over and help her but he just smiled smugly back and waved goodbye as he walked off outside to enjoy the party. Sarah vowed to get him back for that, but that would have to wait until after she dealt with Stefan. God she wished she could just compel Carol Lockwood, but she knew the woman was on vervain and would be able to fight off her mind compulsion. The alternative was to rip her throat out, though Sarah was pretty sure she'd have a harder time convincing Elena to help her after murdering someone. So she continued to chat politely with Carol Lockwood until finally a friendly face appeared.

"Jenna!" Sarah called out half in greeting half in plea for help. The blonde haired woman had been descending the stairs when she heard Sarah call her name and smiled when she confirmed who it was.

"Hey, Sarah," Jenna replied as she made her way over, exchanging a smile with Ms. Lockwood before the woman excused herself. "Stuck up, bitch," Jenna mumbled as Sarah chuckled.

"Is that the kinda of language you should be using around my delicate ears?" Sarah teased causing Jenna to laugh.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure you can handle it," Jenna said with a grin. "Surprised to see you here though, thought you'd managed to avoid this one."

"I did, but I thought I'd come over and see how Elena's holding up," Sarah explained as Jenna smiled back.

"Oh, that's sweet. She's upstairs if you want to speak to her before the big event," Jenna said while pointing up to the second story landing.

"Thanks," Sarah said, shooting Jenna a smile before heading towards the stairs.

"Oh, Sarah, wait!" Jenna called as Sarah swung around to find Jenna rushing over towards her. "How do I look?" Jenna asked as she fluffed up her hair and smoothed out her dress. Sarah gave her a quick once over and deliberately let her smile grow as she looked back up to Jenna, a confident smile on her face.

"He'll be struggling to keep his eyes of you," Sarah said as Jenna blushed, smiling back excitedly.

"Thanks," Jenna said as she backed away.

"Anytime," Sarah said before they parted, Jenna heading out back to meet up with Alaric while Sarah made her way up stairs to talk to Elena. Once on the second floor, Sarah spent a few seconds searching before finding Elena in the dressing room near the back of the house.

"We need to talk," Sarah declared as she marched in, closing the door behind her so they wouldn't be disturbed.

"Sarah?" Elena said as she turned around, holding a beautifully made blue dress in both her arms, presumably the one she was about to change into. "What are you doing back here?" Sarah made a show of checking the room was clear as she walked over to Elena, holding her hands so that the tips of her fingers were just touching and no more. She took a breath and then met Elena's worried eyes. The girl had developed a knack for knowing when bad news was coming.

"You're not going to like what I have to say," Sarah warned promptly.

"Sarah, I really don't have time so just-"

"Stefan's drinking blood," Sarah shot out before Elena could finish. "Human blood," she added for clarification while Elena's eyes widened in shock.

"What?!" she exclaimed before throwing her dress to the side. "What do you mean he's drinking blood again? Did you-Did you do something to him?" Elena demanded as the shock faded into anger.

"Easy," Sarah said as she held up her hands to Elena. She didn't like the fact the girl was judging her but in all fairness, she did have it coming. And without Lexi to keep her in check, maybe it was up to Elena to do so, because God knew she wasn't going to listen to her brothers. "I didn't do anything. He's been on the stuff ever since he got a taste of your blood," Sarah explained.

"No, no he said he was blood free," Elena pressed as she backed away slightly.

"He lied, Elena. I'm sorry but he lied. I've been trying to help him, teach him to control it but he's fighting it. All he wants is the blood. He thinks he knows what he's doing, but he doesn't. He needs help. And I need you to help me," Sarah explained as she followed Elena over to the couch were her dress now lay.

"Don't you think you're over exaggerating," Elena said as she turned back to Sarah. "I mean, you were the one that wanted him to feed on human blood after all. You said-"

"I was wrong, Elena. I was wrong, alright. But this is serious," Sarah pressed making sure Elena got the message through her eyes.

"Sarah-" Elena said trying to get a word in to defend her boyfriend until Sarah spoke again.

"He has a fridge full of stolen blood bags in the house," Sarah said. Elena then sighed as she sat down on the couch next to her dress, rubbing her temple as she thought over everything Sarah was telling her. "I didn't even know about it. He's dangerous the way he is now."

"But this is Stefan we're talking about," Elena said as she looked up.

"Stefan on human blood, actually." Sarah and Elena looked to the door way to see Damon sauntering in, a serious look on his face for once. "He's not like the Stefan you know, Elena. This is the addict version of Stefan, the one that's desperate for a hit. He hasn't been behaving like a normal vampire up to this point. He's been fighting it this whole time when he should have been learning to control it. Now it's controlling him instead," Damon explained as he squared up to the human girl along side his sister.

"This is all my fault," Elena gasped as she ran her hands down her face. "I'm the one who fed him the blood in the first place."

"Yeah, to save his life as well as your own and Scarlett's," Sarah pointed out with a frown, irritated at Elena for blaming herself for what was Stefan's fault. Possibly even her fault a little, but Sarah preferred to view it as all Stefan's fault. If he'd just learnt to control it in the early days then this wouldn't be a problem now. But there was no point in complaining about the past, she had to focus on the problem now and figure out how they could help Stefan.

"What's going on in here?" The three turned swiftly to find Stefan had entered the room, dressed in a suit much like Damon with his hands shoved in his pockets.

"We were just filling Elena on your extra-curricular activities," Damon explained calmly as he fully turned to face Stefan while Sarah remained half turned with Elena behind her. Stefan let out a humourless chuckle as he advanced on them, Sarah took a subtle step back to Elena, worried he might have lost control again because of the blood.

"What are you talking about?" Stefan asked, playing dumb.

"I know about the blood Stefan," Elena declared as Stefan's eyes moved over to his girlfriend. He then shot Sarah an angry glare before moving back over to Elena. It could have gone a lot worse, Sarah thought. At least he hadn't tried to kill them all then and there for exposing him to Elena.

"Could you guys give us a minute?" Elena asked from behind. Both the Salvatore vampires that had their blood lust under control turned to look back at the one human girl in the room. Neither were entirely comfortable leaving her alone with Stefan, especially in the state he was in. Sarah didn't even know when he'd last fed. It might have been hours, in which case Elena might as well be dead if they left her alone.

"Please" Elena pressed. Damon screwed up his face and nodded before turning and walking out the room. Sarah was more hesitant, eyeing Stefan as she stood still. "Sarah," Elena said her hand touching Sarah's shoulder. She looked back at the small smile on Elena's face, a small brave smile. "It'll be alright. I'll scream if I need you," a very light chuckle followed. Sarah sent her a small comforting smile back before turning back to Stefan. She stared at him for a moment before walking out, her eyes on him until the last possible moment and then she left, deliberately leaving the door open behind her.

* * *

Scarlett couldn't have been sure how long she'd been staring at Anna for. Though she was pretty sure it had been a long time considering the looks Anna was giving her. Not that they lasted long. She didn't want to seem rude, so for most of the time while Scarlett was staring at her, arms folded and mouth slightly open, pondered over what Anna had said, the vampire just looked at the ground. Rubbing the sole of her foot against the ground with her hands clasped behind her back. A sweet act for sure, but Scarlett still wasn't sure she believed it.

It was only when Jeremy's approaching scent wafted into her nostrils that Scarlett finally broke from her intense stare and turned slightly to acknowledge the fact that Jeremy had joined her and Anna. "Hey…Anna?" Jeremy said a little confused as he stared at the vampire for a moment. Like Scarlett he hadn't seen much of Anna since finding out about her secret, that she was a vampire. "What's going on?" Jeremy then asked, still frowning as he turned to Scarlett.

"Apparently, Anna here, wants to apologise for everything she's put us through over the past month," Scarlett explained as she turned her sights back on Anna who had barely moved an inch. The girl nervously looked between Scarlett and Jeremy, like the new girl at school desperate to make friends. "You know cause she tried to murder us both when she was trying to get her mother back," Scarlett continued with a bite to her words. She could see it had worked judging by the flash of hurt that passed through her eyes. _Good_ , Scarlett thought, _she deserved it after everything she'd put her and Jeremy through._

"Okay," Jeremy said with a shrug and Scarlett's head swung to meet her boyfriend's.

"Okay? What do you mean, 'okay'?" Scarlett said, doing her best to hold back the growl in her voice.

"I mean, okay. Let's do it. Burry the hatchet and move on," Jeremy said, shrugging again as he sent Anna a friendly smile which she returned gratefully. Scarlett's head swung back and for between the two, frown in creasing each time before finally she stopped at Jeremy. She then grabbed his arm and began to pull him off to the side making a low growl when Anna took a step to follow. She quickly stepped back, waiting quietly while Scarlett waled off with Jeremy. "Scarlett, what the hell?" Jeremy asked as she pushed him away from Anna, standing between him and Anna who she was all but certain was listening in on them. She didn't care though, it wasn't like what she was saying was any big secret. She just preferred to have the illusion of privacy while she talked to Jeremy.

"What are you doing?!" Scarlett hissed. "She tried to kill us both as well as your sister." Jeremy rolled his eyes at that. "I get your mad at her but that's no excuse to suddenly start trusting every vampire that asks for forgiveness."

"Everyone deserves a second chance, Scarlett," Jeremy pointed out.

"You gonna apply that same philosophy to your sister?" Scarlett asked as she folded her arms, hitting him with a critical look.

"We're not talking about my lying sister," Jeremy pressed.

"No, we're talking about the lying vampire who, and I can't stress this enough, tried to kill us!" Scarlett hissed as she leaned over to him, hoping no one other than Anna could overhear them.

Jeremy sighed, running his hand down his face before fixing Scarlett with a serious look. "Scarlett… What if it was you?" Jeremy argued. "What if you were alone and scared… What if Sarah hadn't helped you?" Scarlett felt her metaphorical armour crack. She couldn't deny that. If Sarah hadn't helped her, then were would she be now. A dead uncle, alone, and with no one to care about her as she ran around the woods as a wolf. She might have even have murdered people to survive, just as Anna probably had. She found her mind going back to her initial thoughts when Anna had brought a similar argument about how she'd done it for her mother. In that state Scarlett would have done the same thing for her mother, particularly if she was on her own, like Anna had been.

"Come on, Scarlett. Let's just give her one final chance. What harm could it do?" Jeremy asked in that naive pleading tone of his.

"She could stab us in the back and kill us," Scarlett said pointedly.

"Scarlett," Jeremy pleaded as he rubbed her arm.

"Alright, fine," Scarlett sighed as she rolled her eyes in defeat.

"That's my girl," Jeremy said with a proud grin as he led her back over towards Anna who was looking away from them, acting as if she hadn't heard anything.

"Don't push it," Scarlett growled as they walked over.

"Sorry," Jeremy apologised before putting on a smile as they came to a stop in front of Anna. "Anna," he greeted as the vampire turned back with a bright hopeful smile. "Scarlett has something she wants to say. Don't you," Jeremy said, nudging Scarlett when he noticed she wasn't smiling. The werewolf quickly forced herself to smile tightly and nodded as she clasped her hands in front of herself.

"Yeah…eh.." Scarlett started off before quickly reaching back to scratch her neck nervously. "I guess…I could…burry the hatchet," Scarlett said slowly as she avoided eye contact with Anna right up until the very end.

"Seriously?" Anna asked with hope filled eyes.

"Yeah," Scarlett sighed before getting another nudge from Jeremy in the back. _He had better watch himself._ If he did that one more time then Scarlett was going to start hitting back. "I may hate you for what you did…but I understand it. And had I been in your shoes then maybe…I would have done similar things," Scarlett said while Anna stare back at her, captivated by each word. Her smile wavering and growing every time she thought Scarlett was about to give up on her or forgive her. "So I guess we can…" A pause as Scarlett sighed, clearly having to force the rest of the sentence out. Jeremy was so going to owe her for this. "Try and be friends."

Scarlett felt her face contort in repulse at what she'd just said, only to then screw up even more when Anna squealed excitedly. "Thank you!"

"But try anything and-" Scarlett didn't get to finish her threat because Anna was on her in the next second, hugging her tightly while Jeremy laughed from beside the two supernaturals. "Jeremy!" Scarlett growled as she turned herself and Anna so that she could sent Jeremy her furious glare. Feeling her eyeballs heat up in her skull.

"You might want to get off of her before she gets really mad. She tends to start biting people when they hug her for too long," Jeremy teased. At that Anna hopped off Scarlett and quickly started to apologise as she backed up beside Jeremy.

"It's fine," Scarlett said, waving off the apology as she sighed. "Just don't hug me again," Scarlett warned.

"Yeah. Only I get to hug her," Jeremy said smugly.

"Wouldn't count on that, Jer," Scarlett snarled prompting Anna to laugh as Jeremy gaped at her. And eventually, Scarlett began to chuckled along with the vampire.

* * *

As name after name was called and the Miss Mystic contestants descended the stairs, Sarah began to worry. There was no sign of Stefan. There hadn't been since he had his chat with Elena. Sarah cursed herself for not staying closer to watch him as he left. Now he'd suck off and considering there was one missing contestant, Sarah was pretty sure she knew what he was doing. Right now though, she was still stood at the bottom of the staircase next to Damon, watching as Caroline walked out with her stand in escort. She wished she'd known about Matt not being allowed out of work sooner, she would have been more than happy to compel his manager so that he could get time off, but that was the least of her worries now that a hungry Stefan was on the lose.

"Miss Elena Gilbert, escorted by Mister Stefan Salvatore," Mayor Lockwood declared as he gestured to the staircase for the final time.

"Oh, boy," Sarah sighed as she shared a look with Damon before looking back to the staircase as Elena came down around the bend. Sarah felt a hole of petty form inside her when she saw Elena's face drop. She'd over heard the girl panicking because she couldn't see Stefan but now she knew it was true. He'd run off. And what was worse, she knew what he was most likely doing too.

"Looks like she's going to be stuck with bog standard over there," Damon murmured as she nodded over to the one remaining escort. The one that was supposed to escort the missing girl. Still watching Elena, Sarah knew she had to do something. At a time like this she needed a friendly face, not a blank nobody. She was worried and without someone there to comfort and help her through it, she could end up causing a scene no one would ever forget.

"Escort her," Sarah whispered to Damon as his head swung back around to his sister.

"What?" he hissed.

"Just go and help her you idiot," Sarah hissed back as she pushed him towards where the escort stood. Thankfully Elena was making her way down the staircase, exceptionally slowly.

"Why don't you do it," Damon snapped over his shoulder as Sarah pushed him to the edge of the crowd, some of which were giving the pair strange and irritated looks.

"My dress clashes with hers," I lied with a smirk. "Now, go and be a hero for once." Then lightly but with enough force to get him moving, Sarah shoved Damon towards the staircase. He stumbled but regained his footing and managed to make it look as if the entire thing had been of his own free will. He stopped by the base of the stairs, holding out his hand as Elena reached the bottom. She smiled at him thankfully and took his hand before they made their way through the house. As they passed by Sarah, Elena caught her eyes and sent her a small smile before mouthing 'Thank you' to her. Sarah smiled back, nodding subtly before vanishing into the crowd as her brother and friend made their way outside.

She caught glimpses of the ceremonial dance through the window as she searched the house for Stefan. There was no sign of him. The closest she got to any form of trail was when she reached a bathroom only to be pushed back by an officer that was existing the room. She caught a whiff of blood from inside and contemplated compelling the guy to try and get in to look around. Then she remembered about the vervain that everyone on the council took including the Sheriff who more than likely supplied it to her department. When the officer then asked her to head back down stairs and to enjoy the party, Sarah reluctantly agreed since there was little else she could do. She could have always killed him and then gone inside but then that would just be one other problem to deal with.

Sarah knew it was pointless but she searched the ground floor again, still coming up dry while they announced the winner outside. She even focused her hearing but wasn't picking up Stefan's voice or anything that sounded like a struggle. She tried looking for Scarlett, even sent her a few texts and tried to call her but she wasn't getting any reply. G _reat time to ignore your phone_ , Sarah groaned in her head, reminding herself to have a moan at Scarlett about this later. Where was a supernatural tracking dog when you needed one.

About ten minutes later and the contestants of the pageant were excused to mingle at will. Sarah spotted Elena but remained distant when she saw she was chatting with Caroline. Normally she would have gone over and just dragged Elena off while giving Caroline some off handed excuse but seeing as Caroline just won the pageant she didn't want to bring down her mood. Nor did she want to get sucked into a conversation with Caroline which would definitely happen if she went over now. So she waited until Elena finished talking and then intercepted her before anyone else could strike up a conversation with her.

Grabbing her arm, Sarah led Elena over to a secluded part of the room and asked, "Have you seen Damon?"

"Not since the dance," Elena said as the two came to a stop underneath an archway leading to another quieter room. "What about Stefan? Have you found him?" Elena asked hopefully.

"No," Sarah said regretfully as she fixed Elena with a sincere look which she accepted.

"Have I got news for you," the two women turned when Damon approached them from the quieter room. As he came out of the shadows, he had a grin on his face but once he was fully in the light in turned full on serious. "There were signs of a struggle in the upstairs bathroom. There was blood and that Amber girl is officially missing now," he explained in a hushed tone to his sister and Elena.

"Oh my god," Elena said silent as she ran a nervous hand across her forehead. "He wouldn't hurt her, he won't," she said as she looked between the two Salvatore siblings. The brother and sister shared a look, contemplating lying to her but considering the shake in her voice they knew she knew the truth. There was a real danger that he would kill her, unless they stopped it.

"Let's just find him, okay?" Damon said, getting control of the situation before Elena could go into full on melt down. "Let's get your coat, come on," he said as he led the two girls from the main room and off towards the staircase. After Damon zipped up stairs and returned with Elena's coat, the three headed out towards the woods, guessing that was were Stefan would have taken her. Only problem was the woods around the Founders Hall were massive and there was only so much ground the could cover with Elena slowing them down. Sarah knew that if they pointed it out, Elena would tell them to go on without her but they couldn't risk leaving her on her own and having a hungry Stefan return. Even leaving her at the party would have brought up the same problem and she wanted to help so taking her with them was best for them all…as long as they found Stefan quickly.

Hearing a scream from the edge of the woods, it turns out they got lucky. Sarah looked to Damon and he nodded before Sarah vamp speeded off with Damon and Elena following a human speed. Sarah reached the woods in time to see Stefan sinking his fangs into a blonde girl's – presumably Amber's – neck. "Stefan!" Elena shouted in horror from behind. Before Stefan could react Sarah was on him, pulling him back from Amber only to be rewarded with an elbow to the face before he sent her flying towards a tree with a hard shove. She hit the tree trunk and would have collapsed had Damon not raced over and caught her in time.

"Stefan, just focus. Focus on our voices," Sarah said as she straightened, Damon still holding her in case she suddenly dropped again.

"It's okay, Buddy, come on. Just breath, and get a grip man," Damon said as he slowly released Sarah and took a few steps towards his brother. Stefan lashed out again, grabbing Damon and wrestling for power as the two spun round and round. Sarah ran forward to break up the fight but at the last second Stefan threw Damon at her knocking the two over as he hissed at them.

"Stefan, stop it!" Elena cried this time capturing his attention. Sarah felt herself shoved aside as Damon pushed her body off his before he climbed up to his feet, pulling his sister up with him once he found his footing. She sent him a thankful look and he nodded before they both turned back to Elena and Stefan who were staring at each other. Horror consuming Elena's eyes and face as she stared back at the monstrous version of Stefan. Blood dripping from his mouth, everything in between his lips and chin covered with red. His eyes so bloody they looked almost a soulless black in the shadows of the forest. It was the worst Sarah had seem him since they'd returned to Mystic Falls.

Then Stefan took a step towards Elena. Sarah readied herself to run in and save Elena should Stefan lose control but then he suddenly hunched over, clutching his head as he cried out in pain. Confusion spread over Sarah's face and she glance over to Damon to see the same on his face. The two then looked to Elena who looked back and then they all spotted Bonnie. Standing behind Elena with a an intense focused look on her face. _It was her_ , Sarah realised. Bonnie was the one who was hurting Stefan. She must have been using a spell to keep him at bay.

"Bonnie," Sarah called out to the girl but there was no sign of recognition from her. "Bonnie, please… Bonnie, stop it, please. You're hurting him!" Sarah said, her voice raising with each word as the suffering of her brother continued. She looked back over, seeing Stefan on his knees now and no sign of the pain stopping. "Bonnie!" Sarah shouted and the girl snapped from her trance like stare, blinking before shaking off the spell. Sarah's head shot back over to Stefan, seeing he was now pain free and was lowering his hands from his head.

"Thank you," Sarah said quietly over to Bonnie and the girl looked back at her. She didn't say anything, just watched Sarah until she finally turned her attention back to her brother. It was clear Bonnie still wasn't happy about the whole vampire situation. Sarah couldn't blame her, after everything they'd put her through, she deserved to be mad at them. But if she was going to start hurting her family then she'd have better be damn well ready to deal with her. Regardless, she'd stopped hurting Stefan for now and had helped stop him from hurting anyone else. If she wanted to be mad, then Sarah was fine with that for now.

"It's okay, Stefan," Damon said as he took a few slow steps towards his brother.

"We're here, Stefy. Just come home with us so we can help you," Sarah added, doing the same as her brother. Stefan looked between them all, mouth still wide in shock and horror at what he'd done. Then his eyes landed on Elena and he took off into the woods. "Stefan!" the three of them cried before he vanished as a blur into the shadows. Without asking for permission, Sarah took off after her brother, running through the woods following the faintest of blurry trails until she blinked and the trail was gone.

She came to a stop in the middle of nowhere, twirling around as she looked this way and that way. There was no sign of her brother. No foot prints on the ground, no sniff of blood in the air. He'd just gone. Though Sarah had a pretty good idea where he'd gone. It was where any child would go when they knew they were in serious trouble and wanted to hide away from everyone and everything…his room.

Returning to the Founders Hall, Sarah met up with Damon once he was done talking to the Sheriff. Thankfully Bonnie had agreed to go along with the story that Damon provided the Sheriff with. After that there had been some quarrel between Elena and Bonnie but Sarah couldn't bring herself to care in that moment. She had to go home and help Stefan and she was going to need everyone there. So she and Damon walked Elena back to the front of the house and she promised to come over once she made sure Jenna and Jeremy got home safe. And then finally Scarlett replied to Sarah's text asking what was going on and if she needed help. Sarah called her, telling her to meet them out front and that they were heading home. Scarlett fired out apology over the phone but Sarah shushed her and said they could talk about it another time and that she just needed her help back at the house. Scarlett hung up and then was quiet when she met up with Sarah and Damon before he drove the three home.

"So how are we going to handle this exactly?" Scarlett asked as she walked along side Sarah and Damon, Sarah in between the two of them.

"We're just going to wait for Elena to arrive and then we'll let her do her thing. We're just here for moral support," Sarah explained, though with her look she subtly told Scarlett that she was more than just moral support. She was backup in case Stefan lost control and tried to hurt any of them. Scarlett nodded back in understanding and the three then continued on up the driveway towards the house. Only to come to a stop when they spotted Anna waiting for them with a friendly smile.

"Just so I'm sure. Everyone else is seeing the teeny tiny vampire, right?" Damon asked as he rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"Yeah," Sarah and Scarlett agreed with tired sighs of their own.

"Great," Damon sighed as he dropped his hand, shoving it in his pocket as they all walked forwards towards Anna.

"We're here to talk," Anna said and before any of them could say 'We?', Pearl emerged from the entrance to the house.

"Not in the mood, today's been a no good, very bad day," Damon groaned as he continued on along with his sister and her ward.

"Annabelle tells me you're looking for something I took from Jonathan Gilbert," Pearl declared before any of them could pass her, all coming to a stop as they eyed her suspiciously.

"I'm listening," Damon said slowly. Pearl then stepped forward, reaching into her pocket and pulled out a small object wrapped in cloth. She handed it off to Damon and he took it, before unwrapping it to reveal the silver device beneath it, not as big as Sarah had imagined it might have been.

"What is it?" Scarlett asked before either of the vampires could, frowning in confusion at the device. Damon shot her a look and she raised her brow, lifting her hands as she stepped back in line beside Sara and out of Damon's field of view.

"What the kid said," Damon said with a nod over to the teenager living in his house.

"Jonathan was passionate about his inventions," Pearl began to explain. "He confided in me that he had created a detection device meant to track down the town's vampire element."

"The pocket watch," Sarah chimed in.

"That's what it turned out to be yes. But that's not what I stole. I discovered my mistake when I saw the watch in Jonathan's hand, the night they took us, its stile pointed at me," Pearl explained in disappointment at the memory, clearly still upset about how things had ended between her and Jonathan Gilbert.

"Still doesn't explain what this is?" Damon said as he held up the knew device.

"I have no idea, but now it's yours," Pearl said with a thin and tired smile to the Salvatores and Scarlett.

"What's the catch?" Damon asked knowingly.

"There is no catch. My daughter wants to stay here," Pearl said as she motioned over to Anna who smiled at the three, connecting eyes with Scarlett who sent her back an understanding small smile. "I want to stay here. You refused to trust us and for good reason. Consider this an apology," Pearl said. And then with a nod of respect, she turned and walked off with Anna while leaving behind Damon, Sarah and Scarlett.

"Is it me or those two really good at apologising?" Scarlett asked with a frown as they watched the vampires go.

"For once, I'm gonna agree with the kid," Damon said, throwing the device in the air and catching it in his other hand before walking inside, followed by Sarah who led Scarlett inside. _Another problem solved at least_ , Sarah thought positively as Damon ran off into the house to hide the device. Now all they had to do was wait for Elena to arrive and they could get down to the business of saving what remained of Stefan's soul.

Ten minutes later Elena did arrive and without a word headed up to Stefan's room. She knew the plan. She'd been the one to come up with it, in a way, and decided that was what they were all doing. She'd flashed them the vervain dart as she passed the living room and Sarah nodded to her, showing once more that Elena had her support. She didn't like having to hurt her brother like this but it was the only way to help him. Talking to him wasn't going to work anymore, they had to take drastic action. Sarah just felt bad that it was Elena that had to do the deed.

For what felt like an hour, the three supernaturals sat in the living room, Damon on one couch while Sarah and Scarlett sat on the other. Each listening as Stefan shouted and snapped at Elena, throwing things at her and threatening her all while she stood her ground. Another show of how dedicated she was to Stefan and a true show of her strength. She wouldn't abandon him, not even now when he was on the verge of becoming a monster. Sarah was truly thankful to her for that.

There were a couple of times when Sarah had almost ran up to intervene, worried that Stefan truly was about to kill her. He never did though, nor did he harm her. He just tried to scare her and was doing a good job but still Elena stood her ground, refusing to leave until finally he broke down and began to cry. Sarah listened with closed eyes as Elena comforted him and then injected him with the vervain dart. When his body hit the floor of his bedroom, Sarah and the others got up and made their way up stairs.

They found Elena waiting for them, standing over Stefan's body as he lay unconscious. Scarlett hung back in the hallway while Sarah and Damon moved into the bedroom, Sarah moving next to Elena and resting her hand on the girl's shoulder. "Sure you want to do this?" Damon asked as he stepped towards Stefan, now crouching over his unconscious body.

"I'm sure," Elena said as strongly as she could before turning to Sarah and hugging her when she felt eye begin to sting with tears. Sarah held her, rubbing her back as she quietly promised everything would be okay. Truthfully she was worried about this, worried it wouldn't work and that her brother would go mad because of his lust for blood. Had she done what Lexi would have wanted from the start then all this could have been avoided. But she couldn't think about that right now, she had to be strong, like Lexi had been. Sarah knew how ugly this could get, she'd seen it and experienced it herself.

Once Elena was ready to let go, Sarah helped Damon moved their brother down the stairs. Elena followed with Scarlett who did her best to comfort her, but they all knew it wasn't her forte. Elena thanked her all the same and stuck close while Damon and Sarah dropped Stefan in the cell that had housed Damon not all that long ago. Damon then walked out while Sarah made Stefan comfy on the cot at the back of the cell. Once she was sure he wouldn't wake up stiff and sore, Sarah left the cell, Damon closing it behind her.

"There's no guarantee it's going to work," Damon pointed out as he turned to the three ladies, all of who had there backs against the wall and were facing the cell.

"It has to," Elena said as she stared into the cell, a storm of emotion swirling through her eyes. Damon nodded, taking one final glance into the cell before heading towards the staircase. He then stopped, turning to see no one was following him.

"Coming?" Damon asked, motioning towards the stairs.

"I'm gonna stay here," Elena said as she slid her back down the wall, sitting down outside the cell. Too tired to do anything else but not tired enough to sleep.

"Me too," agreed Sarah as she sat down next to Elena, Scarlett then doing the same only sitting opposite Sarah and Elena. For a moment Damon just stared at the three, not sure what to think. Then he understood and sat down next to Scarlett, the cell door between them with Elena and Sarah opposite him. And as they sat, waiting for something to happen or for sleep to take hold, Sarah felt something touch her hand. She looked down and saw that Elena was slowly wrapping her fingers around Sarah's. Sarah looked up to her eyes, still focused on the cell door. But without Stefan, she needed someone else to hold. So Sarah took her friend's hand in her own…turned back to watch the cell door like everyone else…and waited.


	26. Transition

_Review responses:_

 _Guest: I'm so glad you're enjoying it! Hopefully you'll find a few more feels in this one._

 _Linkan201: Thank you!_

Only reviewer: _Yeah, it just made more sense to have Damon escort her, less questions and outrage. And now you'll see how Stefan's death wish effects everyone in this part a little. I'm also excited to show you more Scarlett/Anna friendship here, and I will address John and werewolves later on. Promise._

Charmedbycharmed: _You're along the right lines, but in my mind, neither of them are aware yet. If there is something, it's all subconscious for now. And yeah, I'm having a lot more fun with Jeremy than I thought I would when I started this story._

 _Finally, breaking the status quo because I really loved doing this first half for a change. You finally get to see how Sarah became a vampire along with her brothers. There's also quiet a bit of Sarah/Elena in this. Not very romantic though, sorry, but that'll be a while away anyway. For now though, we get more friendship moments, which I personally love. That's a slow burn for you._

 _Quick thanks to the new favourites and followers, really appreciate it you guys! And don't forget to leave a review, I respond to every one and that's the same for PMs. I just love hearing what you all have to say! Hope you all enjoy the latest update to the story and I'll see you later!_

* * *

 **Chapter 26: Transition**

* * *

Running through the woods, Sarah felt her legs begin to ache as her feet landed awkwardly on the uneven ground. She usually loved a stroll through the forest, but she never imagined running through it like this, not unless she was in a nightmare, which she currently felt like she was. Both her brothers had run off to save Katherine. The vampire who had destroyed their family and brought terror to the whole town. Now Father and the other Founding families were finally taking action and rounding them all up, including Katherine. Finally they were about to be rid of Katherine forever. And yet for some unnatural reason her brothers were trying to set her free. Correction, she knew why they was doing it. Love. She hated them for feeling that way. All she wanted was for things to get back to normal but they wouldn't let that happen. Katherine had them under her spell, an even more powerful one than she had used to control her.

Up ahead she spotted the towns folk running through the woods, torches and guns in hand. Only they were running away from the main road were the carriage with all the vampires was. Then she saw her brothers. Opening up the back of the carnage before pulling Katherine out. "No!" Sarah shouted as she ran the last few metres towards her brothers, shoving them aside when she got close enough. Having not been expecting such force from their sister, the two older Salvatores toppled over, landing on their backsides.

She then swung around, glaring down at the weak and thirsty Katherine. With the drug her Father had slipped them all, Katherine was weaker than Sarah had ever seen her. But she had no weapon, so she was going to have to kill Katherine with her barehands. A crime she was more than happy to commit for the safety of the town and her family. Her father would understand, he'd proclaim her a hero for doing it, rather than a murder.

Then catching Katherine's pleading eyes as they looked up to hers, Sarah cried in anger as she dropped down onto Katherine, hands wrapping around her neck as she began to squeeze. She was going to kill her, here and now, watch the life leave her eyes. But rather than see horror and dismay across her face, Sarah felt her blood boil when Katherine just smiled back at her. Another scream from Sarah as she tightened her hold on Katherine's neck only to get pulled away by her brothers. "Stop! No! She has to die! She deserves to die for what she's done to us!" Sarah screamed as her back hit the ground and her brothers ran to assist Katherine over her. She felt her heart spilt in two when she sat up seeing her brothers caring for the demon more than her. Tears welled up in her eyes as she watched the two caress her and hold her in their arms. _Why couldn't they see it? Why couldn't they see what she'd done to all of them!_

"We're going to get you out of here," Stefan said to Katherine as she brushed her hair out of her face. He then turned to his brother. "Damon, hurry. Hurry," he pressed as Damon stood to get horses only for a shot to ring out through the forest. Sarah jumped from where she sat and skidded back about half a metre before she realised it hadn't been her that was shot. Then she saw Damon begin to fall.

"No."

The word escaped Sarah's lips as a quiet whisper. She tried to move but found her body had frozen. Thankfully her other brother was able to pull himself away from Katherine long enough to catch Damon before he hit the ground. "No! No. Damon," Stefan stammered as he held his brother in his arms.

Sarah finally moved, pushing herself up to her feet and running to her brothers, kneeling down on Damon's other side. Her hands shot to her mouth to hold back a screen of pure horror when she saw the red growing stain on his shirt and the hole that went straight through the fabric and his skin. "Damon," Sarah gasped. He wasn't moving anymore. "Damon!" Sarah shrieked, nearing hysteric as she began to shake her brother's fading body. From the depths of the forest Sarah could hear men coming their way. _Was it one of them that had shot Damon?_ No, they were too far away for that. It had to have been someone else. Sarah immediately looked back over to Katherine's body. She'd been the source of all her problems, why wouldn't she have killed Damon too, just to make her suffering that much greater.

But there was no gun.

Sarah then felt her hand sink down as Damon's weight was passed completely onto her. She looked over to Stefan, seeing him reaching for a rifle as he rose up, reading his weapon. Sarah liked to think he was fighting for their dead brother but she wasn't that naive. She knew the truth. He was fighting for Katherine.

Silence suddenly spread out around Sarah, until she heard the click of a rifle. Her head swung off to the side and outside of Stefan's view, stood a shadowy figure with a rifle aimed right at him. "No!" Sarah screamed for the second time in a matter of minutes. She let Damon's body fall and stood, throwing herself out in front of Stefan as the second shot fired. Sharp pain rippled through her chest and the cold hand of death took hold. She hit the ground but hardly felt a thing. The pain from her chest was so much worse than that of hitting the ground. One hand made it to the bleeding wound, the other was trapped beneath her body, she hadn't the strength to move herself to set it free. A silent gasp of indescribable pain floated out her mouth.

Finally a third shot fired and Sarah heard a thud from behind. Stefan had dropped down. Now Katherine had truly killed her family. It wouldn't have surprised her if this had been part of Katherine's plan all along. It had all been part of her sick game to tear apart the Salvatore family. She'd won…Sarah was lost, alone, broken, cold and dying. The shock had taken over now and Sarah preyed it would last until she died. She was already dealing with more than enough mental pain, if she had to put up with the physical pain as well she'd…die. And that's precisely what she did. She lay in the forest along side her brothers and died right as the towns men came running over. Her last and final wish was that they'd give Katherine what she deserved.

* * *

Stefan was still lying on his cot. He'd barely moved since being locked away. Well, he'd moved around a lot at first, thrashing around the cell while he screamed and shouted desperately trying to escape and feed. Sarah had made sure to keep Elena and Scarlett back during that part. Thankfully Damon had just ignored him and remained out of the house during that phase, because if he had stayed he might have overheard Stefan shouting about Scarlett's secret. He did it to try and get a reaction out of his sister and it had almost worked until Elena and Scarlett pulled her back.

Not that long after the blood left Stefan's system and he began to calm down. To be on the safe side, Sarah and Damon had been injecting him with vervain since, just in case he tried something. He didn't though, he just sat quietly in his cell and when he wasn't doing that he was lying in his cot.

"It's hard to see him locked up like this," Elena said, her face up against the bars of the cell as she stared in. Sarah was behind her, leaning against the wall with just enough room to see in past Elena. She too was watching her brother as he lay with his back to the door. If only his mind was as peaceful as he looked right now.

She looked down to her hand which held Stefan's ring, twisting it back and forth between her fingers. Damon had suggested they remove it as a precaution, though Sarah was sure it was more about payback for Stefan taking his ring when they locked him up. But Elena had agreed with the idea and Sarah wasn't totally against it either. He hadn't put up much of a fight, in fact he had been almost willing to hand it over.

"He'll survive," Sarah said as she looked up from the ring, folding her arms and tucking the ring away beneath her leather jacket. Elena looked back, pushing away from the door and approaching Sarah.

"I know, it's just…hard," Elena said with a sad look back to the cell. When she turned back around, Sarah offered her a sympathetic smile.

"You're the one who locked him up," Damon pointed out from the stairs where he was leaning against the wall. The only one missing was Scarlett who had left early. She hadn't said it but Sarah knew she was going for a run in her wolf form. Elena might have known too but there was no way for Sarah to find out without risking Damon catching on.

"You helped," Elena shot back with a small glare towards Damon who was lurking in the shadows.

"I couldn't have him running around chewing on people while the town was looking for vampires, now, could I?" Damon replied as he pushed off the wall and stepped towards the two ladies, the shadows lifting from his face.

"Please, Damon. We all know you care about our brother," Sarah said knowingly as she raised her brow at her eldest brother. He just snorted in response and rolled his eyes before turning away.

"Your thing, not mine," Damon muttered as he ascended the stairs, leaving Sarah and Elena behind. They lingered for a bit before Sara nudged Elena and moved towards the stairs. She waited for Elena to follow as the girl took one last look into the cell before reluctantly following. They had school and Elena had already been skipping enough classes to have teachers questioning her, never mind Jenna who had been worrying none stop about Jeremy and now had to do the same for Elena. Sarah did not envy her position in the slightest.

The two made their way up into the study where they'd left their bags from the night before. Sarah had managed to get Elena to do at least some of her homework, knowing that if her grades slipped to much she'd find herself suffering for it later. She claimed she didn't care but Sarah knew Stefan would and had pointed that out to Elena. She hated having to be the sensible one, another reason she wanted Stefan back to his old self.

Walking in, Sarah watched as Damon turned over the device Pearl had given him in his hands. He'd been doing that a lot recently, just staring at the thing in hopes that it would somehow reveal its secrets to him. As of yet, it hadn't.

"Did you ever figure out what that is?" Elena asked as she began packing her bag along with Sarah.

"Nope," Damon answered as he lowered the device and turned around to face the two. "Whatever it is, it doesn't work."

"Pearl didn't say anything else about it?" Elena asked.

"When she originally stole it, she thought it was the vampire compass. She claims she has no idea what that is," Sarah answered as she finished packing her bag, slinging it over one shoulder as she held the strap.

"Don't you trust her?" Elena asked, eyes going to Sarah's.

"About as far as I can throw her," Damon muttered, an answer which Sarah agreed with. She could understand were Pearl was coming from in the sense that she wanted to build and start a normal life here, like Sarah and her brothers had sort of done. That said, Sarah wasn't sure she liked the idea of a vampire as old as Pearl living next door to her. As the woman had pointed out, she could tear them all limb from limb if she wanted too. Even Anna was older than them and therefore stronger.

"Have you spoken to your uncle lately?" Damon suddenly asked as Elena glanced over at him.

"I've been avoiding him, actually," Elena admitted as she finished shoving her things into her bag. "That, and I've been here most nights."

"So, you'll be here again tonight?" Damon inquired with curious look. Sarah rolled her eyes, he'd been saying stupid little things like that ever since Elena started staying over.

"Is that a problem?" Elena asked sounding as if she genially didn't want to impose on them.

"Yes. You're a complete nuisance," Damon teased.

"Ignore him," Sarah said as she warped her arm around Elena and turned her away from her brother. "You're always welcome here, for as long as you need. It's not like we have a lack of bedrooms," Sarah said with a reassuringly smile that Elena thankfully returned as they made their way out of the study.

"That and it's good to have another human around to play with Sarah's pet!" Damon called after them.

"Better be careful, Damon. These humans bite when provoked," Sarah shouted back, prompting Elena to laugh as they left the house.

* * *

Feeling air suddenly flood back into her lungs, Sarah's eyes opened without consent and she gasped, desperate to take in more air in case Death grabbed her once more. Blinding light quickly forced her to close her eyes again, blinking rapidly until the light stopped hurting so much. She was still seeing black spots and the pain had nulled but she could still feel her eyes stinging as the sun shone in them. She brought a hand up to shield her eyes as she sat up, pressing her back to a piece of wood.

Then lowering her hand slowly, as to not over burden her eyes, she looked at where she was. She was under a small shelter held up by four wooden pillars, one of which Sarah was leaning back against. A wooden floor beneath her and wooden roof above with a single table off to one side. Sarah still wasn't sure where she was until she looked over to the nearby drop with a small body of water at the bottom. The Quarry. She was at the quarry. But why?

Her eyes suddenly widened as everything came back to her. Her brothers running off to save Katherine. Her running off to save them. Reaching Katherine and trying to stop them right before Damon was shot. She'd held him in her arms as he died. Then she had taken a bullet for Stefan, cold steel passing through her as warm blood oozed out of her.

Remembering the blood, Sarah's eyes shot down to her dress, her midsection covered in dry blood. Carefully, she reached down, careful not to move to much in case she received another round of searing pain. When her hand reached her chest, she elegantly ran her hand across the blood. She expected a flash of pain but didn't feel anything. Applying a little more pressure, she still felt nothing. No pain, no hole where there should be one. It was almost like she hadn't even been shot. But then why was her dress covered in blood.

"Sarah." At the mention of her name, Sarah looked up to find a familiar face standing over her. Emily. Katherine's handmaiden. She'd known about what Katherine was but despite it she'd always been kind to Sarah. She often comforted her after whatever Katherine had done or forced her to do. She was a good person which only confused Sarah that much more considering she seemed to be on such good terms with Katherine.

"Emily," Sarah said in confusion as she stared up at her. "What… What's going on? How am I…"

"Alive?" Emily finished with a sad smile. Before Emily could continue, Sarah felt a growl echo through her stomach, a starving growl that demanded she be fed. But…it was like nothing Sarah had ever felt before, a different type of hunger. Something in between thirst and starvation. It was almost like…something Katherine had once described to her…the thirst for blood.

"Oh, God," Sarah whispered in horror. "Am I…" Sarah began, too terrified to finish asking the question.

"Not yet. You've just started transition." Seeing the confused stare Sarah was giving her, Emily continued with the same level tone she always spoke in. "Katherine gave you her blood. That meant that when you died, you stared the process of becoming a vampire," Emily explained as Sarah gasped.

She should have know. Of course this had been another part of Katherine's plan. Obviously she hadn't planned on being caught but she had clearly been planing to turn Sarah into a vampire like her. And then what? Had she wanted to turn Sarah into a twisted version of herself, into another devil like Katherine herself. Was that what she was going to become, Katherine. No! She wouldn't let that happen. She would die before that happened.

Then a thought popped into her head, something that made her ashamed for not thinking of it sooner.

"My brothers… What happened to Damon and Stefan?" Sarah asked quietly as she looked up to Emily, tears beginning to form in her eyes at the thought of having to go through all this by herself.

"They're like you. Dead…but alive," Emily explained.

Despite the joy it brought her to know she wasn't alone and her brothers were still with her, the mere thought of what could have happened to them was enough to open the floodgates. Tears burst from her eyes as she screamed in horror and shame. She couldn't stand the thought of what was happening to them, how Katherine had been playing with them the whole time, moulding them into what she wanted them to be. Vampires. Her vampires.

Memories stared coming back, things Sarah hadn't even been aware happened. She could see Katherine placing a ring on her middle finger, making sure it fit before making her forget all about it. Looking down, Sarah now found that same ring on her finger. The stone inside a dark purple with a crest in the centre with the letter 'S' embedded in the middle. Another memory popped into her head, one were Katherine forced her to drink her blood. Then Katherine had began to kiss her and the scene unfolded like so many other scenes with Katherine in her bedroom.

A desperate cry erupted from inside Sarah, desperate for the memories to stop coming back. She wanted them to stay buried, so that she never had to see that devil's face again. She curled in on herself, hand grasping at her head, pulling at her wiry hair. Her screams faded away as if she was drowning, because she was drowning at the thought of becoming what Katherine was. A monster.

Then she felt two sets of arms go around her and through the waves of tears she made out Damon and Stefan. Both on either side of her, holding her as she cried. She couldn't tell what they were thinking, but she was just thankful they were their to hold her, to care for her, to love her. She'd missed them. For so long now Katherine had been the centre of their world and although she'd never been the most important thing in their lives, they still always made time for her and would fuss over her when she needed it. But more than anything they were there when she needed them. Like right now. So she rolled her head towards Damon's strong arms, whimpering quietly as they both whispered soothing words, reminding her they were both still their while she cried. One hand wrapped around Damon's muscular arm and the other reached over to Stefan who took her hand in his own. She squeezed tightly and he squeezed back.

Amongst the crying, she then heard one good thing, the only ray of light in the otherwise dark world. She heard Damon say quietly, in a depressed voice that somehow managed to lift Sarah up. "Katherine's dead."

* * *

"Okay, okay, fine!" Scarlett groaned with a chuckle and smile as she walked along side Jeremy towards the school. His arm was around her waist, hand resting on her side as they smiled at one another. Ever since Jeremy had discovered Elena's secret they'd never been closer which was actually surprisingly since Scarlett had been keeping the secret from Jeremy too. Only difference was Elena was the one that had Jeremy's memories erased. Scarlett had had hers erased too but remembered them when she became a werewolf. He didn't blame her for keeping secrets and trying to protect him. He blamed Elena for messing with not just his head, but Scarlett's as well So ever since he'd been blowing Elena off constantly while spending as much time as he could with Scarlett. Which had then caused him to learn about her lack of movie knowledge and then prompted him into teasing her.

"Seriously though, you've never seen it. Star Wars is like one of the biggest movies ever," Jeremy exclaimed as they walked.

"I already said I'd watch it," Scarlett exclaimed in return as she smacked her hand against Jeremy's chest making him laugh harder. "Keep teasing me though and I may change my mind. Maybe make you watch my kind of movie."

"And what's your kind of movie?' Jeremy asked with that goofy grin of his.

"My guess…" Scarlett rolled her eyes in annoyance but as Jeremy turned himself and her around, she forced herself to at least not glare at Anna. She was stood in her usual black colour cloths, bag slung around her shoulders and a new girl smile on her face. Scarlett might have almost bought it if she hadn't seen what Anna was capable off. Then again she shouldn't be terribly surprised that the girl was able to fool her like that. Having lived for over a century and a half the girl was bound to pick up a few tricks on keeping her identity a secret. "American Werewolf in London, or…Teen Wolf?"

Scarlett fought back the urge to insult the girl and instead flicked her hair from her face before answering quietly, "I haven't seen either of those movies."

"Damn, girl. You really do need to watch more movies," Anna said with a giggle as she walked over to join the two.

"Careful, Annabelle. Just cause you've turned over a new leaf doesn't mean you've earned the right to insult me," Scarlett warned with a finger point, though she could see from the flash of panic in Anna's eyes she'd made her point. Though possible a little too harshly.

"Relax, Scarlett. I'm sure she didn't mean anything by it," Jeremy said as Scarlett slid from his arm and turned on him, stepping over to Anna's side.

"Don't think you're safe either, Jeremy Gilbert. In fact if anything you should be worried since I now have a girlfriend to tell all your dirty little secrets too," Scarlett teased with a grin.

"Please, like I have any secrets to tell," Jeremy said confidently as he folded his arms.

"Hey, Anna, do you want to know what Jeremy keeps in his sock drawer?" Scarlett asked, though her mischievous eyes remained on Jeremy, who quickly began to panic.

"Anyway!" Jeremy said aloud before either of the girl's could say anything, though both snickered to one another before looking back to Jeremy, giving him their full attention. "What are you doing here, Anna?" Jeremy asked as Anna held up a sheet of paper with an excited smile.

"I was picking up this," Anna answered.

"A class schedule?" Jeremy said with a frown.

"I think that might be the first time I've ever seen someone excited to get a class schedule," Scarlett said with a skeptical look to Anna who just continued to smile blissfully.

"Well, starting tomorrow, I'm officially a student here," Anna said as she folded away the sheet of paper and put it into her bag.

"Oh, goodie. Now we get to introduce you to our slice of hell," Scarlett said dryly as Anna and Jeremy laughed.

"It's not that bad," Jeremy promised. "Though I'm surprised your mom's letting you come here considering what you told us." The three had hung out a little since Anna's apology a few days ago. Not a lot, just a few hours but nothing compared to what Jeremy and Scarlett had been spending together. Truthfully Scarlett would have rather avoided Anna all together but Jeremy wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt and wanted to get to know her. The real Anna, not the Anna that had pretended to be his friend to get to the Gilbert journal. Grudgingly Scarlett had agreed and as it turned out Anna wasn't all bad, though it was still going to take her time to get used to the enemy turned friend. It was during that time Anna had told them about her over protective mother and though she was glad to have her mother back, she did miss the amount of freedom she used to have.

"Yeah, well, I finally beat my mom down," Anna admitted.

"You may come to regret that," Scarlett warned as the bell rang in the distance for the start of class. "And that's our cue," Scarlett sighed.

"We'll text you after class," Jeremy said to Anna as he took Scarlett's hand. "We can head over to my house and watch some movies or something."

"Sounds great," Anna said as she waved the two off.

"Take me with you," Scarlett groaned with a depressed face as Jeremy pulled her towards the school, while Anna laughed from behind.

* * *

After school, which made even more strenuous thanks to Elena's constant worrying, Sarah escorted Elena back to her house to pick up some more cloths, since she was going to be spending the foreseeable future at the Salvatore house. Or at least until Stefan got better. Sarah sympathised with Elena, she really did and she was worrying about her brother too. But when she asked every five minutes how she thought he was doing, Sarah quickly began to lose it. She'd even tried to compel her a one point before Elena pointed out she had her vervain necklace on. Sarah had asked her to take it off as a joke and that had managed to distract her for a little. Again Bonnie had avoided them both like the plague and during their free periods and lunch. Caroline had desperately tried to get the four together to talk, but with Elena constantly worrying about Stefan and calling Damon to check up on him, plus Bonnie's insistence not to get involved with Sarah or her brothers, it seemed Caroline's goal was a pipe dream. Sarah knew how that felt.

But they made it through the school day and then head up to Elena's room to collect her things. Elena sat her school bag down and grabbed another bag for her supplies. She opened up her closet and began shuffling through her things while Sarah dropped down onto Elena's bed, patiently waiting while Elena worked away.

"Should I call, Damon. Just to make sure everything alright with Stefan?" Elena asked.

Sarah sighed from the bed as she briefly closed her eyes before sitting up. "Why not? I'm sure he won't mind. It's not like you've called him ten times already to day," Sarah said with a tight voice. Elena stopped in her shuffling through the closet and turned around with a narrow eyes. Hurt eyes. "Sorry," Sarah said with a tired sigh.

"It's alright. I know I'm going a little overboard with all the worrying," Elena said with a soft smile which Sarah returned.

"It's fine. I understand. Plus your worrying has actually helped distract me from my worrying," Sarah said as the two continued to smile. Elena then pulled out her phone and dialled Damon as he turned back to her closet while Sarah flopped back down on the bed, catching a break from Elena while she talked to Damon.

"I'm just grabbing some cloths, and then me and Sarah will be right over," Elena said into the phone. "How's Stefan?" Sarah didn't bother to listen to Damon's response, it was probably the same as every other time Elena called him. Sarcastic. But then something different happened. Sarah only noticed when complete silence took over, not even hearing the murmurings of Damon's voice from the phone. She sat up, suddenly curious to see Elena turning around to face her with a frown. "He just put me on hold."

"My God you finally broke him," Sarah said in fake astonishment. Elena rolled her eyes as she turned back to the closet once more but she now had Sarah's attention. She vamp speeded over to Elena's closet, leaning against the wall while Elena continued to search, listening in on the phone while they waited for Damon to return.

"He won't eat anything," Damon said suddenly, returning to the conversation.

"He has to eat, what's his favourite…kind of, um…" Elena said before becoming uncomfortable.

"His favourite kind of what?" Damon asked from the other end. Sarah fought the urge to grin, knowing Damon was doing the same. She could see Elena squirming under the topic which wasn't odd considering she and Stefan had probably barely talked about it. Still, it was fun to see how awkward the naive Elena was at the mention of blood. Elena looked to Sarah and quickly saw her rolled in lips that were trying not to smile while also surpassing a chuckle. She rolled her eyes at that, sighing as she realised she'd been left with the two immature Salvatores while her boyfriend was locked in the basement.

"Type of animal blood that he prefers?" Elena finally muttered out as she pulled something from her closet and threw it into her bag.

"Ew, gross," Damon teased back as Elena grinned along with Sarah.

"Haha," Elena replied dryly. "Your joking doesn't help."

"Helps me," Damon replied with a shrug. "Now, hurry up. I can't baby-sit all night. I have things to do."

"Like what?" Sarah asked with a suspicious frown towards Elena and her phone.

"Stay out of it nosy little sister," Damon warned before adding in a more friendlier tone, "I'll tell you later."

"You know. It's a really weird feeling to be the one who made the call, and yet, be kicked out the conversation," Elena said as Sarah smirked at her causing her to grin back.

"Well, maybe if you stopped asking the same questions over and over?" Sarah teased.

"I would say 'drop dead' but…" Elena shot back as Sarah's eyes widened, feeling insulted but also proud at the same time. She smiled back at the girl and Elena smiled back while Damon laughed from down the phone. "You can keep quiet too while you're at it," Elena said down the phone, Damon's laughter then quickly ceasing.

"Stefan likes…puppy blood. Little golden retriever puppies with cute, floppy ears. That's his favourite," Damon mocked from down the phone as both Elena and Sarah rolled their eyes. Sarah mouthed 'hang up' and Elena didn't need to be asked twice before ending the call and pocketing the phone.

"Your brother's an ass," Elena said as she finished taking out the last of the cloths she wanted to take with her, throwing them into her bag.

"Preaching to the choir, sister," Sarah said with a smirk that made Elena giggle as she closed her closet door only to jump at the sight off her uncle John stood against the wall, having been hidden by the door. Even Sarah was surprised to see him, having not heard him enter. She hadn't even been aware he was in the house. God she hated this guy.

"Sorry," John apologised, though it hardly sounded genuine.

"Uncle John. I didn't see you there," Elena said as she stepped back, siding with Sarah as John walked into the room.

"I thought we could talk. We haven't had a chance to catch up," John said as he looked around the room. Just another one of his strange little games, trying to spook his own niece, John really was a dirtbag.

"I'm actually just heading out with Sarah," Elena said as she grabbed her bag and the two made their way towards the door.

"Well, it won't take long," John said forcefully before they could leave. Sarah looked back, stood in between the doorway as she watched Elena sigh before turning back to her uncle.

"What do you want to talk about?" Elena asked as she and Sarah lingered by the door.

"Well…I'd rather discuss this in privet," John said with a obvious look to Sarah.

"Whatever you have to say to me, you can say with her here," Elena said as she folded her arms. Sarah gave a look of surprise before looking back to John with a shrug that said she wasn't moving unless Elena told her too. John groaned, not surprising since her hated vampires and Sarah herself was a vampire. He was probably tempted to kill her for just setting foot in the house. He shook it off though, pretending like it wasn't a big deal, though both girls new exactly what his thinking. They knew the real John, not whatever act he was putting on right now.

"I know, you know," John suddenly declared, eyes going straight towards Elena.

"Know what?" Elena asked tiredly as she brushed her hair from her face.

"It's really silly to keep pretending," John said as he advanced on his niece who firmly stood her ground, bag still in hand. "What do think your mother would say, if she knew you were dating a vampire?" John asked before his eyes moved over to Sarah. "Or that you'd invited one into her home." Sarah shot a glare back at John but he merely ignored her and turned back to Elena who was also glaring at her uncle.

She then got the prefect response and grinned as she leaned forwards. "Which mother?" John's eyes widened as Sarah joined in on Elena's grin.

"And that, would be our cue to leave," Sarah said smugly as she stepped in line with Elena. John turned to her, surprise turning to anger as he reached into his back pocket, pulling out a stake. Sarah just smirked back at him, hardly threatened. "You don't want to pick a fight with me, John. I promise you, it won't end well." She was all for putting John in his place, but she knew Elena wanted to leave and get back to Stefan, who at the moment was their priority. So instead she took Elena's arm, further irritating John as she said, "Remember to keep one eye open tonight." She then winked, and with a burst of vamp speed, ran out the house with Elena, coming to a stopping further down the street.

"Thanks for that," Elena said as they came to a stop, brushing her hair out of her face.

"No problem. Just thought we needed a flashy exit to go with that sick burn," Sarah said as she nudged Elena's arm, making her grin and laugh before the two made their way towards the Salvatore's house.

* * *

While Sarah and Stefan sat in the shade beneath a tree near the quarry, Damon returned with a bucket of water. He put it down in front of his younger siblings, snatching a old wooden ladle before scooping up some water from the bucket. "Here, drink some of this," Damon said as he held the ladle towards Sarah who had her head on Stefan's shoulder. She just shook her head, turning her head away from water as she groaned, like a sick child refusing it's medicine because it tasted worse than it felt.

"Come on, Sarah. It'll make you feel better," Stefan said as he rubbed his sister's shoulder. Another groan as she buried her face in Stefan's neck. But after a little more persuasion, Sarah grudgingly turned her head to the open air and took the water Damon poured into her mouth. She'd expected the water to burn her throat with an itchy after taste but instead she felt nothing and only left a cold trail behind as it made her way through her body. She shivered then it finally reached stomach and then the feeling of sick took over. She managed to keep it down but she knew it wasn't what her body was craving. She needed blood. Just like Katherine had. Already her skin was turning a ghostly white. She was practically a ghost anyway, living on borrowed time.

Shortly after as the sun began to set, Stefan suggested she get some sleep. Sarah felt like arguing with him but didn't have to strength. Emily had said she'd feel this way until blood was nearby. Her body would only react to the presence of blood. That was why Emily had left, not wanting to risk her life. None of the Salvatores had tried to stop her. They were all still thinking about the decision before them. Whether to die or live out a cursed life.

But Sarah didn't want to think about it. She knew it should be simple but her heart was saying one thing and her body another. So she let the conflict tire her out until her head dropped back down onto Stefan's shoulder and sleep briefly took over. But even as she slept she heard her brothers talking.

"I bet Jonathan Gilbert has told Father by now. Wonder how he took the news that we're dead," Stefan said quietly as Damon sat across from him, staring back at is brother and sister with a tired and depressed look.

"As if he cares. He betrayed us," Damon said angrily, though quiet as not to wake Sarah.

"He thought he was protecting us, Damon. He thought he was protecting this town," Stefan argued.

"Thank God the sun is setting," Damon said as he shielded his eyes from the bright sky ahead of him, turning his siblings bodies into blackened silhouettes. "It's been hurting my eyes all day." It had been doing the same to Sarah too and she suspected it was a result of whatever was happening to them.

"It's part of it. The muscle aches, the sick feeling, the tiredness," Stefan said as he gestured to his sleeping sister. Sarah tried to speak up, let them know she wasn't sleeping and that she wasn't tired, but she just couldn't find the effort. "Emily says it's our bodies pushing us to feed, to complete the transition."

"That's not gonna happen," Damon mumbled back.

"Is that your choice, then? To die instead?" Stefan asked, voice raising, though still not loud enough to stir a movement from Sarah.

"Isn't it yours? This was all to be with Katherine. But she's gone. I want it over." It made Sarah sad to know her brother wanted to die just because Katherine was no longer alive. But at the same time she couldn't bring herself to agree to live as a Vampire either. She didn't want to become what Katherine was, a demon who tortured people for her own pleasure.

"What about, Sarah?" Stefan asked.

"You really think she'll want to live as a vampire?" Damon asked with a raised brow. Stefan knew he was right. He didn't want to go through life alone without his siblings. So if they were going to let death take them, then so would he. But before that happened he needed to speak to someone. He needed to speak to his father. So once Damon drifted off to get some sleep, Stefan lay his sister down and left the quarry. He'd be back before morning, ready to say goodbye to his siblings before reuniting in whatever life came next.


	27. Blood Siblings

_Review responses:_

Only reviewer: _Oh, Sarah would like to do a great many things to Uncle John, none of which are pleasant._

 _And now we come onto the moment when the Salvatores all turned and became vampires. Quite a few emotional moments in this part, at least for me. And we'll see into Sarah and Damon's mindsets a bit more than normally. Also, from the way things are going hopefully I should have this story finished by the end of the year, and the second one started in the New Year if not sooner. Very excited for that and what's left of Season one!_

 _And thank you to everyone who's followed the story, we're now up to 100 follows. That's insane for me, so thank you all so much! And thank you also to those that have favourited the story too, really appreciate it you guys! And don't forget to leave a review, I respond to every one and that's the same for PMs. I just love hearing what you all have to say! Hope you all enjoy the latest update to the story and I'll see you later!_

* * *

 **Chapter 27: Blood Siblings**

* * *

Lying on the couch in the study opposite the fireplace, Sarah looked up at her brother who was leaning over the back of her couch. Across from them was Elena, sat in the armchair with her diary on her lap, staring away in thought. She'd just been down to see Stefan. While she'd been doing that, Damon had explained what Stefan had been doing while they were out. Nothing. He did nothing. Just brooded the whole time and refused to drink blood. Sarah wasn't too worried, he'd come back from worse, far worse before as well.

But Elena hadn't seen him like this, depressed and filled with self hatred. It was one of his many different low points, something Elena was going to have to get used to if she stayed with him. She seemed to be handling it pretty well consider though.

"He's just being dramatic. He's not gonna starve himself," Damon said as he crossed his arm on the back of the couch.

"And if he tries we'll just force feed him," Sarah said with a grin up to her brother who winked in agreement down to her.

"Why would he say that?" Elena asked as she looked over to the two very relaxed vampires.

"He just feels bad because he hurt that girl. Trust us, Elena, this is nothing new," Sarah said as she fixed Elena with a serious look, letting her know she could trust her words. Even so, she still didn't seem convinced. Hardly surprising considering her boyfriend was contemplating killing himself.

"It'll pass," Damon added with a shrug.

"Will it? Because he seemed to be in a lot of pain," Elena pointed out, worry clear in her voice.

"Yeah. Well, that will pass too, once he eats," Damon muttered.

"I didn't mean physical pain," Elena replied.

"We know what you meant, Elena," Sarah said as she stared over at the girl.

"Speak for yourself," Damon muttered as he looked down at her sister. She rolled her eyes at him before both looked back to Elena who had them both captured with a sad worried look. "Look, are you gonna be okay here, if I have to run out? I have to go to an errand with the teacher," Damon said as he stood up from the couch. As he stepped back, Sarah sat up, fixing her brother with a frown that Elena backed her up on.

"The teacher?" Elena asked.

"You mean, Alaric?" Sarah questioned.

"Are you two friends now?" Elena teased before Sarah looked back to share a grin with her.

"I don't have any friends," Damon said with a scowl as he grabbed his jacket that was hanging over a nearby chair.

"Awe, is Damon embarrassed because he has a new friend?" Sarah teased in a high pitched voice that made Elena laugh from behind her. Damon just smiled sarcastically at the two before pulling on his jacket.

"Don't wait up," Damon said as he turned and marched out the room.

"Don't embarrass me big brother!" Sarah called after him, as she dropped back onto the couch and looked over to Elena with a pleasant smile.

"Bit late for that," Elena said with a smirk as Sarah laughed loudly.

"You are on fire to day," Sarah declared as she shared a smile with Elena, but then her smile faded and she looked down to her diary, sadness in her eyes. "He's going to be fine," Sarah said as she swung her legs out so that she was sitting up straight on the couch, leaning forward with her hands clasped together.

"I know…" Elena said, though Sarah could sense there was more she had wanted to say. She gave Elena some time but she never continued. She just looked down at her diary, as if the words for her to say would suddenly appear on the paper in front of her. She only looked up when Sarah slapped her hands on her knees, catching Elena's attention.

"I'm going to get dinner started. What do you feel in the mood for?" Elena tilted her head as she stared at her with a curious and confused face. "Hey. Just because Stefan's starving himself doesn't mean we have too. Now come one, what do you feel in the mood for?" Sarah pressed with a small reassuring smile. And eventually, Elena returned it.

"I guess I could go for some Italian," Elena shrugged.

"Great," Sarah said as she pushed herself up to her feet. "I'll make lasagne, that alright with you." Elena nodded and with a grin Sarah made her way into kitchen. She quickly threw a meal together in under an hour and then brought two plates through, one for Elena, the other for her. The two eat in silence. Sarah had tried to get a conversation going but Elena wasn't in the mood. She wasn't even eating all that much either. She was only half way through her now cold meal when Sarah finished. When Elena continued to stare down at her diary, flicking through the pages ever now and then in between the occasional bite of lasagne, Sarah decided to check on Scarlett.

Stepping out into the hallway, Sarah called Scarlett. She asked where the teenage werewolf was and Scarlett promptly answered that she was over at Jeremy's, watching so movie. Sarah expressed her jealousy and then Scarlett had asked if Sarah needed her to come back and help with Stefan. When Sarah assured her everything was fine Scarlett then said she'd be back late and that she'd be careful on her way back before hanging up.

Shoving the phone away in her pocket, Sarah turned to find Elena standing behind her, arms folded with a determined look on her face. Sarah could already tell she wasn't going to like whatever Elena was about to say. "I want to go down and see Stefan."

"Fine," Sarah said with a shrug.

"Alone," Elena then added.

"Alright."

"And I want to go into his cell." And there was the part Sarah didn't like.

"Not going to happen," Sarah said firmly, folding her own arms as she glared back at Elena.

"Sarah, he's not going to hurt me," Elena pleaded.

"Okay," Sarah said as she stepped forward. "Let's put aside the problem of your personal safety for starters. If you go down there, alone, then how are you going to lock the door?"

"Why would I need to lock the door?" Elena asked with a frown. Sarah wasn't going to call Elena completely stupid, so she assumed she was meaning other than the obvious which was too lock it so Stefan would stay in the cell.

"Well, for starters, Elena, I'd rather keep the possible suicidal vampire in a underground stone room than let him roam freely when the sun will be up in around six hours," Sarah said with a look that made sure Elena feel foolish. But even then Elena counties to argue for it.

"He won't get pass me," she said firmly.

"Really?" Sarah asked rhetorically with a raised brow. "You, the human girl with human speed and human strength, is going to stop my brother, the vampire with the supernatural speed and supernatural strength?"

"He's not been feeding so I'll be able to stop him," Elena said confidently. Sarah gave her credit for paying attention, though if she didn't know this kind of thing by now then she never was going to learn it.

"He could still take you, easily," Sarah said simply.

A frustrated sigh from Elena as she looked down before brushing her hair from her face as she looked back up. "Please, Sarah. Just let me try."

"I have no problem with you trying, you're just not doing it alone," Sarah said as she tilted her head, eyes still locked onto Elena who groaned again.

"Sarah, please, just trust me. Give me one chance. You can wait at the top of the stairs if that's what you really want but just let me go down to the basement on my own and talk to him. I need to do this on my own." Sarah stared at her for a moment, running through all the worst case scenarios in her head. Then came the reluctant sigh as she let her head roll back. She needed to work on resisting whatever charm Elena had. Her initial hatred for the girl had faded a while back now, though it could flare up when Elena made her exceptional mad. Unfortunately this wasn't one of those times and without her anger to shield her, Sarah was going to need a knew tactic when she wanted to refuse Elena. For now though, she caved.

"Alright, fine, you can go down alone – But I'll be listening the entire time and if I think he's going to make a run or hurt you then I'm stepping in," Sarah said firmly as she pointed an authoritative finger at Elena who nodded happily in agreement.

"Thank you, Sarah," Elena said as she clasped her hands together with a thankful smile.

"Don't thank me yet. Now go," Sarah said with a curt nod towards the stairs that lead to the basement. Elena didn't have to say anything more, she didn't want to risk wasting time in case Sarah changed her mind. So she quickly jogged to the stairs and then looked back to make sure Sarah hadn't changed her mind before heading down the stairs. And just like Sarah said she would, she listened in, stood at the top of the stairs, leaning against the wall with her arms folded as she focused.

As she said she would, Elena did enter the cell. Sarah tensed up at first but from the sound of what was being said, Stefan was in control. If he wasn't he would have attacked her by now. It was a good sign. It meant he was over the cravings and instead just mopping, being stubborn and refusing to like himself. It wasn't uncommon for a vampire to act this way. It would have been a lot worse had his humanity been switched off.

Elena had tried feeding him the blood but he continually shot her down until finally he snapped at her. Hearing him slap the bottle of blood from her hand and shouting at her to, "Get out!" Sarah quickly pushed off the wall and vamp speeded down the stairs. She made it to the cell door and was about to barge in when she heard Elena say firmly and definitely, "No." Sarah stopped, hand tightly gripping the door handle as she waited for Stefan's reaction. When she heard nothing she looked in to see his fangs fade and the blood in his eyes clear. Then he stepped back and sat down on his cot.

Seeing the danger had passed, Sarah quietly stepped away, gone from sight before either Elena or Stefan could notice her presence. She remained close though, once again positioning herself at the top of the stairs, ready to run down should anything else happen again. Thankfully nothing did, so she just listened to Elena trying to get Stefan to talk. Eventually, he did. He started to open up to her about the night they all turned. He told her about how he'd decided not to change along with Damon and Sarah but then how it'd gone horrible wrong when he went to visit their father.

Sarah had already heard the story. He said it multiple times over the years to her and others. It was something he struggled with for a while after the initial rush off turning faded away and he got himself under control, with help from Lexi. It had been hard for him, which meant if he was talking about this now, he must be feeling really guilty about what he'd done. Odd, considering he'd done so much worse over the years, other than just hurting one girl. Maybe it was because Elena had seen him do it and now he'd opened up the door to that version of himself, the version he wanted to keep hidden from her. Elena was too smart for that though, as Sarah now realised. She would have found out sooner or later. Heck, Stefan's track record alone suggested he would have slipped up sooner or later anyway. Better it happened now in the early stages of their relationship rather than after they got married per say.

It was made clear how guilty he was feeling when he finished telling the story, and he asked Elena how she could still look at him. Sarah smiled at little at that, jokes forming in her head at what she could have said if she was down their with them. But she wasn't about to go charging into the cell and ruin any chance of progress Elena was making just to get some cheap joke in. After that moment passed it wasn't long before Elena left the cell, promising she'd be there when Stefan was ready to continue talking. Then as she came up the stairs, Sarah was waiting for her with a friendly smile.

"You look like you could use a drink," Sarah said with a sympathetic look along with a raised brow. Elena chuckled tiredly as she claimed the last few steps.

"Maybe once he's back to his old self," Elena said as the two began to walk back along the hallway towards the study.

"He's getting there, Elena. Just give him time," Sarah said as Elena sighed heavily.

"We've done nothing but give him time," Elena groaned.

"When you're a vampire, that's all you have," Sarah said with a shrug. "But for what it's worth, I think you talking to him did really help." Elena looked to her, listening to what she was saying. "He's gotten used to talking to me and Damon about his deep dark secrets, so much so that it no longer works when we talk to him. But with you, he can still open up to you about all that. It's new, and so is that love which gives him more strength." Elena smiled appreciatively as she brushed her hair behind her ear, shying away from her friend as they entered the study.

From there the two chatted ideal about anything else they could think about. Elena just wanted to get her mind of Stefan but kept glancing over at the doorway as if he'd suddenly appear. Sarah had no idea why, she'd locked the door behind her before coming back up. Maybe it was just the sleepless nights catching up to her. It was a few more hours before Damon then returned from his little adventure, by witch point Elena was sat on the couch with her legs stretched out along it while Sarah sat in an armchair, reading a book she'd just started.

"Ugh, God, she's still here?" Sarah lowered her book and looked over to Damon who nodded to Elena. Sarah just glanced over to Elena who shared the same tied look as her before they turned back to Damon and both shrugged.

"I guess so," Sarah sighed as she went back to her casual reading. While she did that Damon, moved over to the couch, lifting Elena's legs as he sat down before lowering them onto his lap, sighing as he leaned back in his seat.

"So, how was the 'errand'?" Elena asked. Sarah closed the book at that, knowing she wouldn't be able to keep reading when Elena brought up the topic of Damon's activities. That was something she had to make sure she was on top of. So she dropped the booked onto her lap and looked over to Damon with a thin smile, eager to hear about his day.

"Futile," Damon answered before turning to the two as he continued. "Although, I think I witnessed the teacher having an existential crisis."

"Suddenly I'm very excited for school tomorrow," Sarah said teasingly with a grin before Elena sent her look to stop joking around. Sarah just rolled her eyes and both girls turned their attention back to Damon.

"What about Stefan. Has he eaten yet?" Damon asked.

"I thought you didn't care," Elena said with a pointed look to Damon.

"I don't," Damon shot back as he give her what could only be described as a 'smug Damon' look.

"Of course he cares," Sarah said as both heads turned towards her. "He just hates himself too much to admit it." Damon snorted and Sarah responded with the childish expression of sticking out her tongue.

"So immature," Damon said with a roll of the eyes.

"You're one to talk," Elena suddenly spoke as Damon shifted his gaze onto her. "You're the one that's been punishing your brother for the last 145 years."

 _Uh-oh_ , Sarah though as a look of worry passed across her face watching as Damon's playful grin turned to a irritated one. This wasn't something Elena should be talking about, she didn't know everything. She couldn't have, there was no way Stefan could have filled her in on everything that had happened across their lives. The truth was Damon hadn't been punishing Stefan this whole time, just for most of it, and in his defence Sarah could see why. She'd even had a go at Stefan a few times because of what happened, but she still primarily blamed Katherine because if she'd never shown up in Mystic Falls back in 1864 then none of this would have ever happened. Damon however, didn't see it that way.

"Whoa, whoa whoa. When did this become my fault?" Damon asked before gesturing to his sister. "Why is she not sharing in on the blame. In case you forgot, she was also trying to get my dear brother to feed as well. In fact, I'm pretty sure she's the one that was there drinking with him when he lost control." Sarah could have argued about that point but decided to stay quiet as Elena spoke up.

"I'm not say it's any one person's fault, Damon. I'm just saying you're not exactly innocent. You've made it your life's mission to make him miserable. At least Sarah was trying to bring you all back together, though she might have gone about it the wrong way, her end goal was a better one than yours." Damon stared at Elena for a moment, truly taken aback by what she had just said. Then he stood, shoving her legs of his as he stood up and stormed off a few paces before turning back to the human girl.

"Let me ask you a question. While Stefan was filling you in on the brief, and I stress the word 'brief', history of the last 145 years, did he ever tell you how it all started?" Damon asked as he glared at the teenage human girl sat on his couch. Sarah, moved her book from her lap and sat up, ready to get up, as she suspected she would have too.

"He and Sarah told me all about how Katherine showed up," Elena answered.

"Oh, did they!" Damon said as he turned on Sarah, blazing blue eyes now set on her. "And did they happen to tell you about the night we all turned?" Damon asked as he looked back to Elena who frowned a little, not getting what he was getting at.

"Stefan told me about how he turned, but I didn't ask him about you two," Elena answered as she sat her diary aside and stood up, taking a few steps towards Damon.

"Why am I not surprised," Damon grumbled as he turned to leave.

"Damon," Sarah snapped at him as he stopped and turned back with a mildly confused look to his sister, finding that she was now on her feet and stood a few steps behind Elena who was also looking at her now. "Don't get mad at her. If she doesn't know, then tell her," Sarah said in a calm and level tone.

"You do it," Damon said simply as he walked over to the bar and poured himself a bourbon. Sarah sighed, running her hand down her face before turning to Elena who was staring at her, waiting. She could see now that she'd brought it up, Elena wasn't going to back down until she got the rest of the story about that night. Sarah had no problem telling her the rest of the story. If anything her version was probably the less biased since Stefan was high on blood at the time and Damon viewed it as his brother's ultimate act of betrayal. So she told Elena her version off that night, and Damon sat quietly, listening as he sipped his bourbon.

* * *

Sarah was sat next to Damon, the two staring out across the quarry as her head rested on his shoulder. Her hand held Damon's tightly. He'd told her it wouldn't be long now, that they'd gone too long without blood and that soon they would fade away. It was hard fighting the urge to feed. At first it hadn't been too bad but now she could feel her body trying to get her to go to the town and feed. The temptation was real but with Damon by her side, Sarah knew she could get through it.

She had wanted to say goodbye to Father along with Stefan but knew if she went she'd never be able to fight the urge to feed. Thankfully Damon hadn't wanted to go and see Father either, so the two of them waited behind at the quarry while Stefan went to say his goodbyes. Sarah just hopped he was back before sun rise so they could all move onto the next life together.

Suddenly Sarah felt her body jump to an alert state. She sat up, eyes widening as her mouth began to water, as if smelling a meal that she loved. But there was no smell, just the taste, that taste before the taste she was craving. Her senses were all over the place, her stomach growling once more like a wild beast desperate for a kill. She looked to Damon and she could see in his eyes that he was felling the same. Then they felt a presence behind them.

Damon and Sarah turned, looking back to see Stefan had returned. But he'd brought someone back with him, a young woman. Sarah knew she was what she was craving, this was the curse Katherine had passed onto her. But strangely enough, she was more focused on Stefan. He'd changed. She could tell it just by looking into those green eyes that they both shared that something had changed. He looked completely different, more sinister in the way he moved.

"What are you doing? Who is that?" Damon asked with a confused frown as he stared at his brother and the stranger along with Sarah.

"I brought her for you. You and Sarah," Stefan said with a sinister gleam in his eye, as if he'd thought it all out and everything would be perfect. It scared Sarah to see her brother with that look, a look she'd see in Katherine's eyes multiple times. "She's a gift," Stefan continued before turning to the girl, locking eyes with her. "Have a seat, please," he ordered and the woman did just as told. Just like Katherine had done with them, Stefan was controlling this woman. Sarah gasped in horror as her hand shot to her mouth and she felt tears prick at her eyes. Katherine had done it, she'd turned Stefan into a monster, just like her. Using this poor innocent woman as his play thing.

"What have you done, Stefan?" Damon asked as he tightened his grip on Sarah's hand, letting her know he was still there for her.

"I went to see Father," Stefan said, pressing his finger tips together as he locked eyes with his siblings, a serious and yet gleeful look in his eye. It scared Sarah even more so than the looks Katherine had given her over the past few months. "He came at me. I didn't know my own strength. There was blood everywhere." Just the word only was making Sarah's mouth water ever more than it already was from the woman's presence. She was starving. _Maybe just one taste…NO!_ She couldn't give in, if she did there would be no turning back. She had to stay strong, like Damon. Stefan continued with, "He was dying, and the blood was too strong. I needed it. I had to have it."

"You fed," Damon exclaimed as he shot Stefan a glare.

"Yes. And it's incredible," Stefan said gleefully as Damon and Sarah turned away from their brother. "My body is exploding with power, guys. I can hear things from far away. I can see through the darkness. I can move, like it's magic. And the guilt, the pain…" Stefan was grinning like a maniac now as he moved across the space between him and his siblings, leaning over to the both as he explained everything he now had after feeding. "I can turn it off like a switch," Stefan said as she snapped his fingers. "Katherine was right. It's a whole other world out there."

"Katherine is dead, Stefan. There is no world without her." Damon said as he pulled his hand from Sarah and stood, brushing past Stefan as he tried to leave only for Stefan to catch his wrist before he could leave, turning him back around to face him. As for Sarah, she remained seated. One eye set on her brothers, the other set on the young mesmerised woman who was just sitting there…waiting for Sarah to bite into her neck. She was only just able to hold it together, praying her eye from the girl and focusing her attention on her brothers.

"No. You can turn that off too. You don't have to feel that pain anymore," Stefan exclaimed excitedly like a mad man trying to pitch his latest crazy invention.

"I don't want it!" Damon snapped as he yanked his arm from Stefan only to have Stefan grab him by the shoulders, forcing him to hold his gaze with him.

"You're weak," Stefan snapped back. "You'll be dead soon. You need this."

"No," Damon said as he fought the urge that was stirring inside of him.

"You'll die!"

"No. I can't," Damon pleaded to his brother as he tried to fight against his brother's superior strength.

"Stefan," Sarah weakly called out as her brother's gaze swung over his shoulder towards her, where she now was on all fours looking up at her brother. She'd tried to move, to get to her brothers so she could stop him, but she couldn't get close to the woman without the urge getting stronger. It had been too much and she'd been so weak that she'd collapsed onto her hands and knees and was now staring up at her brothers.

"Please…just let him go," Sarah begged, not wanting her brother to force his fate onto Damon. He smiled back at her, a devil like smile that made Sarah cold to the bone.

"Don't worry, Sister. You'll get your turn," Stefan said with a grin before he looked on to the woman he'd brought with him. Then, still holding Damon, he reached forwards and motioned for the woman to stand. She did and then stepped towards him, letting him bite into her neck when he motioned for that too. But he didn't drink, he just let the blood slowly trickle from the two holes on her neck while he turned back to Damon who's eyes had locked onto the blood. The thing he needed and wanted more than anything.

"I won't let you die," Stefan said to his brother. Then he released Damon and looked over to Sarah who was also looking at the blood. "Either of you."

"No. I can't," Damon said but even so he still found himself taking uncontrollable steps towards the woman, his jaw trembling as it widened, ready to feed.

"Don't fight it. We can do this together," Stefan whispered into his ear, like the devil on his shoulder. Damon took another step forwards, now right in front of the woman. He held out as long as he could but he couldn't fight it any longer. He leaned forwards, his whole body trembling as his lips touched her skin, the blood lightly tickling her lips. Then he sucked, drinking from the wound and the blood moved through his system like a flash of pleasure. Before he knew what was happening he was drinking uncontrollable, needing more and more. It was so good, like nothing he'd ever had before and then he finally pulled back, for air more than anything.

With blood now smeared over his face, Damon staggered back, his fangs beginning to form as the blood he'd just drank filled his eyes, brining out the icy blue in them. Power rushed through his body, just as Stefan had described it and yet completely different. It was beautiful, incredible, and empowering. And yet he could still only stare at the the young woman and the blood that was flowing from her neck. He moved to have another drink but Stefan push him back with a sharp shove to his chest before he then stepped in between Damon and the woman.

"Sorry, Brother. But Sarah needs some," Stefan said before turning and smiling at his sister.

"No…Stefan…" Sarah tried to argue, but she didn't even have the strength for that anymore. Stefan then advanced, helping her up while motioning for the woman to come and kneel down in front of Sarah. And just like with all his other commands, she did as told. Then once Sarah was back on her knees, breathing heavily as she tried to hold it all together. But the more the blood flowed from her wound the more Sarah felt herself vanishing into the darkness. She couldn't fight it any longer she had to have just one taste.

Like a gentleman, Stefan then brushed aside the woman's hair and moved back so that Sarah could feed. She looked to her brother for the briefest of moments and he smiled before nodding for her to continue. She fell forwards, stretching her neck as she opened her lips which landed on the bleeding bite. Then she drank. And it was the most delicious thing she'd ever tasted in all her life. It was so Godly that it renewed her life. She could feel the blood moving through her system and with each inch of her body it moved through, she felt herself grow stronger and stronger.

Like Damon it took a moment for her too pull away from the woman, blood now covering her face just as it had with Damon. Her fangs formed in her mouth and blood consumed the whites of her eyes, but she no longer cared. She'd had that one glorious taste and she was ready of another. Then, liking her lips and taking in more of the excess blood around her lips, a wicked smile took over her face. Then she lunged forwards and took another bite out of the woman's neck. And as she drank, her brothers joined in, until they drank the woman dry. And then it was done. They had all completely the transition. They were vampires now.

* * *

As Sarah finished the story and Elena stared back at her in horror, hand over her mouth, holding back the gasp she'd let out after hearing what Stefan had done to them. Sarah had never blamed him for what happened. For her it was always Katherine's fault that they had turned, Stefan just got unlucky with their father and happened to feed. She didn't blame him for being scared and forcing his brother and sister to turn. She had felt bad for Damon, but after a while, he began to thrive along with her. Ironic how she and Damon were great as vampires while Stefan continually suffered.

"From the moment Stefan had his first taste of human blood, he was a different person," Damon spoke up from the couch where he'd made himself comfy, drink in hand.

"No he wasn't," Sarah said as she shot her brother a look. He just shrugged and took a swing of his bourbon. "He was just emotional and scared and it got the better of him. Blood had very little to do with it."

"Ironic, don't you think," Damon said with the corners of his mouth turning up from behind his glass. Sarah just rolled her eyes, in no mood for an argument. After telling a personal story of that magnitude all she wanted to do was grab a glass and join her brother in a drink. "Though I suppose we should thank him," Damon then admitted as he took another sip from his glass before lowering it.

"It's been a hell of a ride."

"Oh, my God." Sarah turned from her brother back towards Elena who's horrified face had turned to one of shock and realisation. "He said he wanted to die. That's why he won't feed. Now I understand why," Elena said as she ran her hands across her forehead, pulling at her skin as she did. Sarah didn't see why this was such a big deal. They'd already explained all this to Elena, that it was just a phase he was going through and that sooner or later he'd get over it. All they had to do was keep him locked up down stairs and if he desiccated then they'd just force him to drink, and they'd keep going through the cycle until they got Stefan back.

"His choice. If he's stupid enough to make it," Damon mumbled as he took one last swing of his bourbon, finishing off what was in his glass.

"Don't do that, okay. Don't pretend like you don't care," Elena said with a sharp glare to Damon. He just shrugged it off, like any look Sarah had given him before, only now he was doing it to Elena too. Sarah shook her head and then noticed Elena moving to leave in a hurry.

"Everything alright?" Sarah asked as she looked up and Elena turned back around, panic in her eyes.

"Stefan's going to kill himself," Elena declared.

"It's fine, Elena. He won't be able to kill himself while he's in the cell," Sarah said as she stepped forwards with a reassuring smile, but still Elena's fearful look didn't fade. If anything, it grew. Sarah's smile faded and when Elena ran out the room, Sarah followed her, making their way down to the basement, they reached the cell…only to find it open. Sarah looked to Elena, who looked back in horror. She didn't give the human a chance to say anything as she ran into the cell, looking in every corner before confirming it truly was empty. And there on the cot, was Stefan's ring.

Reaching down, Sarah picked up, looking it over to confirm what she feared. Stefan was out of the cell, in the wind, with a death wish, without his ring, and the sun would be up in a couple of hours. Sarah turned, tightly holding the ring in her hand as Elena stood in the doorway. There was no way Stefan could have broken out of the cell. It wasn't hard to figure out the alternative. Elena had left the door unlocked for Stefan.

"Sarah-" Elena began as she stepped into the cell.

"Save it," Sarah snapped. "If he dies…" She paused as she flicked Stefan's ring towards the teenager who caught it in her hand before looking at it and discovering it was the ring she'd left for Stefan. "It's on you." She knew Elena was hurt by her glare, the look in her eyes confirmed it. Or maybe it was self hatred for what she had done, for being overconfident and putting her boyfriend's life in danger. She couldn't blame Sarah for glaring at her, looking very much like she would rip out her guts if anything happened to her brother.

"Sarah, I promise, I'm going to bring him back…alive." With that Elena turned tail and ran out the cell with her brunette hair flowing behind her as she ran, clutching the ring tightly in her hand so that she couldn't accidentally drop it. Sarah growled to herself and got ready to follow when a hand shot out, pushing her back into the cell. She collapsed on her behind, hand moving back to catch herself before her back hit the ground too. An irritated groan from Sarah as she looked up to see Damon standing in the entrance to the cell.

"What the hell is your problem?" Sarah snapped as she stood up, dusting herself off while glaring at her brother who's icy blue eyes looked back at her with a cool steely gaze.

"Let Elena handle this," Damon answered simply.

"Damon, he's going to try and kill himself. We can't leave it up to Elena to save him!" Sarah shouted as she tried to storm out only for Damon to shove her back inside, refusing to budge or let his sister leave until he was done making his point.

"You remember the night this all started, when we turned?"

"I just told the whole story to Elena! Of course I remember!" Sarah snapped as she threw her arms around, teeth baring and fangs on the verge of forming.

"Alright, then you remember how you were willing to let me die?" That caught Sarah off guard, her arms dropping as her anger shrunk slightly. "Before Stefan fed us blood, you were willing to let me die. Why can't you do the same for him?" Damon asked with a curious shrug.

"This is different," Sarah argued.

"No it's not," Damon said as he screwed up his face and shook it. "The only difference is your not willing to go along with it."

"He's not himself, Damon. He's not thinking straight, neither were we at the time," Sarah argued as she stepped closer to her brother, closing the gap between them. Still he didn't move, adamantly standing in the doorway that blocked Sarah off from escape.

"That's not the point. The point is, when I made that choice you accepted it… You owe him for that. So just let him go," Damon said as he took a single step forwards, placing his hands on his sister's shoulder with a sympathetic look. Or as sympathetic a look as someone like Damon could provide.

"No," Sarah said definitely. She couldn't do it. She couldn't stand by when her brother was potentially going to die. Last time had been different. That had been before they turned. They'd all come to far now to commit suicide, especially when they'd been closer in the last few weeks than ever before. They were finally getting back to being a family, she couldn't let go now, not when it was so close. Her dream.

"Elena will talk him out of it," Damon said, absolute certainty in his voice.

"What if she can't?" Sarah dared to asked and Damon smiled. A small smile that was filled with belief, the same belief that reflected in his blue eyes that looked more human than she'd seen them in the past couple of months.

"It's Elena, Sarah." And that was it. That was all he said. As if it put everything to rest. What was really strange was that it actually worked. Sarah did feel a weight lifted off her shoulders, almost as if a God had just picked it up and passed it onto Elena. It didn't make her worry any less, but she now believed, just like Damon, that Elena would save Stefan. She believed the promise that Elena had made her.

Finally, Sarah sighed, and nodded her head in agreement. Damon smiled, the smug victorious smile of his. He then removed one hand from Sarah's shoulder, moving his arm around her so that it was wrapped around his sister. "Come on, let's get you a drink little sis. God knowns you're going to need one for those nerves of yours." Sarah couldn't really argue about that. She was shaking just with the back ground thought of Elena failing and Stefan dying. So she let her eldest brother led her into the study, pour her a drink and then sit down to distract her while they waited.

Despite his best efforts though, Damon only mildly managed to distract Sarah from the thought that plagued her mind. He did however manage to get her to laugh at one point when he started going on about Stefan's diaries. Reminding her of some of the good times they'd spent while flicking through his diaries together, even before they moved back to Mystic Falls in the 21st century. There had been times when they laughed and laughed and still to this day they both shared a laugh every now and then. But this time it wasn't enough to keep her mind from the thought of Stefan's possible death.

Then, finally, Elena walked back in. Hand in hand with Stefan who had his ring back on his hand and a grim look on his face as he looked across the study to his siblings who were sat on the couch. "Stefan!" Sarah exclaimed in joy as she ran at full speed across the room and into her brother's arms, tightly holding him, afraid to let him go and risk loosing him again. Stefan hugged her back, resting his head against hers as he let her fuss over him. He was just glad to see her happy, though he knew better than to put her through something like that again.

While hugging her brother, Sarah looked up and over his shoulder, seeing Elena standing just a few steps away with a small but undeniable happy smile on her face. Sarah smiled back and said, "Thank you." Elena's smile grew and she nodded back, knowing there was nothing else Sarah could say to express how much she appreciated what Elena had done for her. She waited until Sarah and Stefan parted before saying, "I'll be upstairs." Stefan nodded to Elena, who then walked out the study, taking the stairs up to Stefan's room.

As for Stefan, he remained in the study with his siblings, letting his sister take his hand once Elena left. He turned to her and smiled when he saw her beaming back at him. He hadn't seen joy of this degree from Sarah in a while and it warmed his heart to see that innocent little sister like smile again. The smile she'd grown up with, but seem to have lost since becoming a vampire. It was rare for the smile to show itself and a definite treat for Stefan.

"Thank you…" Stefan said as he looked into Sarah's forest green eyes. He then looked over to Damon, still smiling. "Both of you."

"No, Stefan," Damon said as he swirled his drink around in his hand. "Thank you. You're back on the Bambi blood and I'm the big badass brother again. And like always, Sarah's right there in between us, good or bad. All is right with the world." He then drank as Stefan pulled his hand from Sarah and took a few steps towards his brother. Sarah followed but remained behind him.

"I mean it. Thank you. For…helping them take care of me," Stefan said to Damon, referring to Elena and Sarah, the ones who had looked after him no matter what. He had been surprised at Damon's assistance in the whole affair.

"You brood too much," Damon declared with a pointed look up to his brother. "Everything on this planet isn't your fault. My actions, what I do, it's not your fault. I own them. They belong to me. Your aren't allowed to feel my guilt." He paused gesturing to Sarah. "Same goes for you, Sister, before you get any ideas."

"Do you feel guilt?" Stefan asked after a moment, letting Damon drink up the last of his latest glass of bourbon.

"If I want to, it's there" Damon answered as he looked away, feeling both his siblings' eyes on him. Both feeling sorry for him and digging into his soul. He hated it. "Emily waited till after I turned to tell me she'd been successful in protecting Katherine with her spell. She didn't want me to know about the tomb. She thought it would impact my decision." He finally turned back to his siblings, acting like he'd never felt anything even though he knew they knew. He only thrown out that last bit to try and irritate Sarah, but she didn't give into the name of the bitch. She just continued to watch her brother, just as Stefan did.

"She didn't want any of us to turn," Stefan pointed out. "She said it was a curse."

"She wasn't entirely wrong on that one," Sarah jested with a small grin.

"Witches," Damon groaned. "Judgy little things."

"Why didn't you tell us about the tomb?" Stefan asked. Damon gave him an obvious look and then looked over to Sarah. Stefan followed his gaze and their sister just shrugged, not surprised by her brother's answer. It was true, had she known back then, she would have done everything in her power to destroy Katherine once and for all and keep her brothers from her. So oddly enough, it was probably for the best she didn't find out until the last few months. It was just unfortunate that Katherine had apparently never been in the tomb and had been free the whole time. Sarah would be lying if she said it hadn't kept her up some nights, thinking of what Katherine was up to, what she was plotting.

"Alright," Stefan began as he turned back to his brother. "Why didn't you tell me?" Stefan then asked.

"'Cause I didn't want you to know. 'Cause I hated you and I still do," Damon answered with a thin grin to his brother.

"I know," Stefan said with a look down, remembering how he'd forced not just brother to turn into a vampire, but his sister too. He was just glad Sarah had forgiven him for turning her, but he wasn't sure if Damon ever would get over the curse he'd brought upon him.

"But not because you force me to turn," Damon added suddenly, prompting Stefan to look up at his brother and for Sarah to narrow her eyes in confusion. She had thought the hatred came because of what Stefan had done on the night they turned. Was there something else she'd never knew about, something she over looked?

"Then why?" Stefan asked, speaking the question that was on Sarah's mind.

"Because she turned you," Damon answered as he stood up. He then stepped forwards towards his brother, looking him right in the eye as he continued. "It was just supposed to be me, Stefan… Just me." Damon then continued on, walking past his brother and then his sister as he made his way towards the archway.

"Wait," Sarah suddenly spoke up, turning along with her brothers, both who had turned to face her as she stared at Damon, still confused. "If you just wanted to turn by yourself, then why are you mad at Stefan for turning but not me?" Sarah asked. Damon stared back at her for a moment, his face still as his cold blue eyes stared back at her neutering green. Then after a few seconds of silence, he answered.

"You're my little sister. I can't stay mad at you."


	28. Isobel

_Review responses:_

Only reviewer: _You can never assume anything with Damon, at least at this stage. But we'll see...I like to keep you on your toes._

Charmedbycharmed: _Thank you! It's always a challenge with balancing original stuff with the continuity of the universe. But I'm glad the pacing isn't too slow for you, though that might change over time. This one will definitely be a slow burn that will hopefully end with a very big bang!_

Swan-Redb: _Thank you so much for that! I'm glad you're enjoying the story and all the little moments Sarah has with all the characters. Hopefully the wait in between chapters doesn't bother you too much._

PPLforeveremison: _That is one of the nicest compliments I've ever read, thank you so much for that! Truth is, I need this time to figure out the characters too so that I'm certain in where I'm going with them. No point in having them get together only to then have no clue what to do with them next. It is about the journey for these characters and I'm aiming to make it a good one so thank you!_

 _Almost at the end now, after this, just three chapters to go! More tensions building in this one, especially with Isobel coming up, we all remember how lovely she is. Some decisions to be made and hints into Sarah's past, another seed for you guys to think about in future. And trouble for Scarlett on the horizon. All in all, another fun chapter!_

 _And thank you to everyone who's favourited and followed the story since last time. It really does mean a lot and makes my day when I see a new name pop up, almost as much as when I hear what you guys have to say. Love talking to each of you that reviews so please don't be afraid too._ _I respond to every one and that's the same for PMs. I just love hearing what you all have to say! Hope you all enjoy the latest update to the story and I'll see you later!_

* * *

 **Chapter 28: Isobel**

* * *

Sarah had been up in Stefan's room, flicking through his recent diary entries when his phone rang. Without even thinking twice she plucked the phone up off the nightstand and glanced at the name across the screen. 'Elena'. Sarah grinned, answering the phone and putting it to her ear as she placed Stefan's diary down by her side. She didn't really care if Stefan caught her, he probably knew she was in his room anyway since he was showering in the next room. Besides, she had to keep an eye on him after everything he'd just been through, and that included going through his diary and reading his written thoughts.

"Hello, Elena," Sarah said with tease in her voice, coming across more like Damon than she wanted too. It was hard being the one in the middle.

"Sarah?" Elena said in confusion, pausing as she checked her phone, making sure she'd called the right person. "What are you doing on Stefan's phone?"

"He's showering, so I answered it. I was in his room, going through his diaries and I heard it ring," Sarah answered as she picked Stefan's diary up once more, glancing over it before dropping it back down on the bed.

"Why were you going through his diary?" Elena asked.

"I'm his sister, Elena. Call me nosy. That and he tried to kill himself yesterday."

"Point taken," Elena said. "I'm supposed to help build the Miss Mystic float for the Founders' Day parade. If I don't, I get the wrath off Caroline…wait a seconds. How did you get out of this?" Elena asked curiously knowing Caroline was fond of Sarah and had grown to like her quite a bit. Or at least enough to drag her into her extracurricular activities.

"Compulsion works wonders, Elena," Sarah said with a grin.

"Sarah!" Elena snapped disapprovingly.

"Joking! Joking," Sarah said with a chuckle that Elena then sighed too. "She's just left me a couple hundred messages asking me to call her, though I imagine she'll catch me before school ends."

"Not even a vampire can escape Caroline Forbes," Elena teased with a giggle that made Sarah roll her eyes. "Anyway, I just wanted to check in first, see how Stefan's feeling today?"

"He's doing good. Still tormented inside, but that's just another Tuesday for Stefan. Nothing in his diary's screaming suicidal so that's good. Unfortunately there is bad news," Sarah admitted gravely.

"What's the matter?" Elena asked in concern.

"Well…he's boring again." Elena sighed in relief and even managed to laugh a little. "He's back to drinking animal blood, puts a real downer on things. You think maybe I should slip him some human stuff?" Sarah asked casually as she began checking the nails of her free hand. There was a pause before Elena came back, not sounding at all too happy.

"Sarah," Elena said in a low, angry and disapproving voice.

"You really can't take a joke can you," Sarah said with a smirk.

"To be honest, I can never tell with you," replied Elena, sounding a bit more perky.

"You falter me," Sarah said in a high voice as the two women began to laugh. Sarah then caught movement off to the side and looked over to Stefan's bedroom door to see Damon having walked in.

"Elena?" he asked. Sarah nodded, calming down from her laugh. "Ask her if John's said anything," he then added. Sarah guessed he was referring to what he and Alaric had been up to the other day while she and Elena where babysitting Stefan. She'd gotten the story later on from him, telling her that he and Alaric had found a vampire, but not Isobel, who they'd originally gone looking for. Turns out this vampire had been working for John as a spy so he could keep tabs on the Tomb Vampires. They never found out why and killed him before they could get anything else out of him. Sarah had then scolded her brother, pointing out she could have helped with her feminine charm but he just laughed at that.

He really could be a jackass when he wanted to be one.

"Damon would like to ask if that _fabulous_ uncle of yours has talked to you recently?" Sarah asked on Damon's behalf.

"No," Elena answered thankfully. "I'm still avoiding him, even more so now that he's revealed everything to me, not that I didn't already know. Why's Damon asking? Do he think he's up to something?" Sarah glanced over at Damon with a look that told him she expected him to answer. She knew fine well he was listening in on every word they were both saying.

"Yes, I think he up to something. No, I don't know what it is," Damon answered simply as he folded his arms. "Tell her I'd love it if she could find out for me." He began playing with his eyebrows, something he always did when he was up to one of his little games. Sarah could practically see the gears turning in his head as he tried to get ahead of John Gilbert.

"The Jackass would like you to do some snooping," Sarah said as she turned away from her brother, smirking when she felt his glare on her.

"No promises, but I'll see what I can do," Elena answered. "Look, I've got to go, I'm late."

"Alright, tell Caroline I'll be there as soon as I can," Sarah said as she caught Damon leave the room as Stefan entered it from the bathroom, towel wrapped around his waist.

"Do you really mean that?" Elena asked skeptically.

"No," Sarah answered smugly as she grinned over towards her brother who just shook his head, though he too was smiling.

"Bite me," Elena playfully snapped down the phone.

"Oh, tempting," Sarah replied, making an audible sound of licking her lips in anticipation.

"Goodbye," Elena said, the rolling eyes implied in her voice as the call ended.

"Elena, alright?" Stefan asked as Sarah turned her attention to him.

"Yep, she's good," Sarah said as he swung her legs off the bed, stood up and threw the phone to Stefan who caught it with one hand. "You going to be ready soon?" she asked, already aware they were close to being late. She was good to go but she wasn't about to leave her brother high and dry, or in this case, damp. Besides, it was his car they took to school, and although Sarah could just take it herself, she knew how Stefan would get her back for ditching him. He'd take her motorcycle. So when she looked at the big picture, it was worth being a few minutes late to keep her brother off her precious baby.

"Yeah, just let me get dressed and we can head off." Sarah nodded and walked past her brother, making it to the doorway before he caught her attention and she stopped. Stood in the doorway, Sarah looked back over her shoulder, seeing that Stefan was still smiling at her. "I just wanted to say…I'm glad you and Elena are getting along. I know it must be hard for you, what with her…appearance, and everything."

Sarah cocked and eyebrow at her brother. "Careful, Stefy. If Elena heard that it might hurt her feelings," she teased as Stefan shook his head, smiling as he ran his hand through his wet hair, droplets of water dropping as he did.

"I'm just trying to say, thank you," Stefan said with a chuckle. "I appreciate that you've managed to put…certain thoughts aside, and are now able to get along with her."

Still keeping her eyebrow cocked, Sarah replied with, "Don't flatter yourself, Stefan. Yes, it's true if you weren't dating Elena then I probably would have killed her on sight. But since I've gotten to know her I now see her instead of Katherine. I would even goes as far as to say we're friends." She smiled at her brother and he smiled proudly back before she shot him a wicked grin and a mischievous glance. "And as her friend, I'm so going tell her about what you said about her appearance."

"You're funny," Stefan said with a dry laugh. Sarah then shot him one last teasing smile before heading down the stairs. Shortly after Stefan joined her and Scarlett came running down at the last second to grab a ride. Turns out she'd slept in after spending a late night at Jeremy's. She hadn't gotten back until the small hours and hand only managed to grab a couple hours sleep. Sarah thought about tormenting her – and lecturing her – but decided to cut the girl a break since she hadn't been giving her much attention while dealing with Stefan. So she apologised, offered her some aspirin and then they headed off to school.

Upon arrival, Sarah new she had to go to the cafeteria to meet with Caroline, Elena and Bonnie. That or risk being yelled out by Caroline for the rest of the year. It was something she could handle obviously, what she couldn't handle was Caroline actively seeking her out just to yell at her. Then a miracle happened. On the way to the cafeteria, Alaric caught up to Sarah, Stefan and Scarlett and told them to head to his classroom because they needed to discuss something serious. They all got it was supernatural related and made their way while Alaric went to grab Elena. As they went their separate ways Alaric called after them, telling them to call Damon. So Sarah did and asked him to come over to the school. He grumbled for a bit but gave in in the end and promised to be there in a few minutes. By the time he arrived, everyone else had already gathered in the class room.

"Damon, thanks for coming," Alaric said as Damon walked in. He glance around the room, seeing Alaric standing by his desk which Stefan was leaning on. By the window, Sarah and Scarlett leaned back with their arms folded and at a lone desk, Elena sat, staring straight ahead. Thinking over what she had just been told.

"Sorry I'm late. My dog ate my uh…" he paused half way through his joke, sensing the tension in the room. "Never mind," Damon finished as he looked from face to face, all of which were frowning with varying degrees of worry and shock. "What's with all the frowns?"

"I saw Isobel last night," Alaric said.

Damon's head swung towards Alaric. "Isobel's here? In town?" Alaric nodded. He then looked to Elena, as did everyone else, making sure that hearing it again hadn't caused her to break down. Her eyes flickered between everyone, the startled look remaining on her face as she did. With a sigh, Damon began to pace back and forth. "Did you ask her about Uncle John? Are they working together?" Damon asked Alaric. Questions Sarah had been wondering about herself.

"No," Alaric answered.

"No they're not?" Damon pressed.

"No, I didn't ask," Alaric elaborated as Damon rolled his eyes.

"What about the invention?" Damon asked, moving on to his next thought.

"Didn't ask."

"Did she know about the tomb vampires?" Damon asked, getting more irritated.

"I don't know," Alaric said, sounding out each syllable.

"Did words completely escape you?" Damon snarled as he squared up to Alaric.

"No, I was a little too distracted by my dead vampire wife to ask any questions," Alaric snapped with a raised voice.

"Man this is crazy," Scarlett muttered as Sarah shared an agreeing look with her.

"What did she want?" Damon then asked.

"She wants to seen me, Damon," Elena spoke up as everyone looked to her again.

"Alaric is supposed to arrange a meeting. We don't know why or what she wants," Stefan explained from his position on the desk.

"You don't have to see her if you don't want to," Damon said to Elena. Sarah frowned and she could see Stefan doing the same. It was rare to see Damon being nice, especially these days, but ever since Stefan's rehabilitation he seemed to be opening up a lot more. Even so, it was still weird for Sarah to see Damon looking at Elena with a softness to his blue eyes.

"She's threatened to go on a killing spree," Alaric added.

"Oh. I take it that's not okay with you guys," Damon said as he looked around the room.

"I want to do it," Elena spoke up once more. "I want to meet her. If I don't, I know I'll regret it."

"Alright, so what are we actually going to do then?" Scarlett asked as she looked around, waiting for someone to ask.

"What's Scrappy doing here?" Damon asked as he nodded to Scarlett.

"She's here to help," Sarah answered.

"What exactly does she bring to the table? We've already got a useless human on the team," Damon pointed out with a nod over to Alaric.

"You're an ass," Alaric grumbled.

"And you're the one who couldn't get any useful information out of his dead wife," Damon said with a glare over to Alaric who just shook his head with a clenched jaw.

"To answer your question, Scarlett," Stefan cut in before Damon could piss of anyone else. "I'm going to go in with Elena, everyone else is going to wait outside."

"No, no, no, no," Damon quickly said as he waved his finger back and forth, marching over to Stefan. "We're not letting her go in alone and you're to weak to take on someone like Isobel," Damon said as he pointed back over to Stefan. He'd already worked out what Sarah had assumed, that Isobel had flick her switch. From everything that Alaric had told them about his wife before she turned and what she was like when he met her last night, it made sense to think she'd turned off her humanity. And with that state of mind, she'd be taking no prisoners and would be full of blood, putting her at an instant advantage against Stefan.

"I'll be fine, Damon," Elena said reassuringly.

"At least let me and Sarah come in too," Damon insisted.

"No. She wants her alone, Stefan we can probably get away with but anyone else and she'll get suspicious," Alaric explained as Damon swung around to face him, glaring at him as if it was all his fault.

"We can cover the exits," Sarah spoke up. "Damon and Alaric watch the front while Scarlett and me watch the back."

"And what good's that gonna do if Elena's inside getting her head ripped off?" Damon asked as he turned on her.

"She's not going to kill me, Damon," Elena insisted. "If she was going to do that, she'd have done it already."

"Exactly," Sarah agreed. "So we let her have her little chat with Elena, then follow her, find out where she's hiding, and what she's up too. Then take it form there. And if she tries anything we've got the exits covered and can box her in." She could see Damon was coming around to the plan but still wasn't happy because he was essentially on the side lines. Eventually though, he agreed and Alaric set up the meeting for after school at the Grill.

And as planned Elena and Stefan headed in, waiting for Isobel while Damon and Alaric waited out front at the park across the street. As for Sarah and Scarlett they took up the side alley of the Grill, the back exit in case of a fire. They listened in but it was all just mindless chatter. Elena and Stefan weren't talking, because they weren't together. To keep Isobel appeased, Stefan was to stand a few feet away from Elena who would have claimed a table. Because of that it was kind of hard for the two to have a conversation. It also made listening in extremely boring. Just listening out for Elena's voice so that they'd know when Isobel arrived.

Hearing a sigh from next to her, Sarah turned to see Scarlett pouting at the Grill's wall. She was sat on the ground, back against the wall with her legs crossed and her hand below her chin, holding it up. "You okay there?" Sarah asked with a thin grin to her ward as she looked down. Scarlett turned her head slightly to look up at the vampire, still pouting out of boredom.

"Bored," Scarlett answered bluntly.

"Recently, boring doesn't sound like such a bad thing," Sarah pointed out as she looked back towards the Grill's wall. She listened in for a few seconds but there was still no sound of Elena's voice.

"So what exactly is the big deal about this Isobel?" Sarah turned to look at Scarlett once more. "I mean, I get she's Elena's brith mom and all that. But she's only a few years old, vampire wise. Shouldn't you and you brothers be able to run circle around her since your older?" The girl looked up with a puzzled look and Sarah nodded her head in agreement. Yes, they could easily take her if push came to shove. But Alaric and Elena weren't too happy when the idea of killing Isobel had been brought up in the classroom before Damon had arrived. Understandable, they both had questions and a connection to the woman, even if she'd cut off all her connections to them. Emotionally at least.

"She's turned off her humanity. That makes her unpredictable and dangerous. So it's better if we just play along just now and once we know what she's after then we can decide how to act," Sarah explained.

"What does that mean though, turning off your humanity?" Scarlett asked.

"It can mean different things for different vampires," Sarah began. "For the likes of Isobel, she's basically got no feelings towards anyone or anything. She just does whatever she wants and if something doesn't go her way she'll probably react badly and go overboard. She has no reason, no morality, just her instincts and personal experiences."

"What about you? What does it mean for you?" Sarah pulled away from that question, turning back towards the Grill. That was something she didn't want to relive. Those had been her darkest hours and afterwards, her most shameful. Twice she'd been pulled back thanks to Lexi and the third time had been pure luck. But what she'd done while her humanity was off scared her. It was almost like it had been a split personality, like someone else had been driving her body. For a brief while after her first experience without humanity, she'd wondered if Katherine'd had hers turned off all along. She quickly realised upon reflection that wasn't the case.

"It means something very bad," Sarah answered quietly. She was thankful that Scarlett didn't ask anymore questions after that, though that might have been because Isobel arrived. Sarah then listened in along with Scarlett as Isobel explained what she wanted. Of course before she got to that point she had to go through the awkward small talk. Just the usual stuff though; how she met Katherine, her daylight necklace, not telling Elena who her father was and taunting Elena because she was getting along with all the Salvatores just like Katherine did.

Now Sarah wasn't feeling an overwhelming urge to go in and attack Isobel, but if she happened to come out the back door then she'd certainly be getting hit with something. Then she got onto the real reason she was in town. The Gilbert device, not the compass, the other one, the one Damon had. Then Isobel made the standard threat of killing everyone she cared about and left, ordering Elena to hand over the device. Luckily for Isobel, she went out the front, a fact which disappointed both Sarah and Scarlett.

The two then regrouped with Alaric out front to tail Isobel but she was already out of sight and so was Damon. When Sarah asked where he'd gone to Alaric just said he'd gone to follow a lead of his own. _Typical_ , Sarah thought with a roll of the eyes. _An emotionless vampire on the loose and what's Damon doing? Running around on his own. Fantastic._

* * *

Scarlett was thankful for the new day, the previous one had started out so promising and then turned dull. After the stakeout at the Grill, nothing more happened. Damon eventually came back and Sarah interrogated him about where he'd been. Apparently he'd located Isobel and gone to warn her to leave town. Sarah hadn't been too happy about that, nor had Stefan, both agreeing he'd more than likely aggravated her. But Damon maintained he had the whole situation under control. Though that was typical Damon from what Scarlett knew, never admitting when he was wrong until it blew up in his face.

The new day wasn't looking all that much better until Scarlett reached school and she got a text from Jeremy. From what he'd said, it seemed urgent so Scarlett quickly made her way to one of the empty classrooms, skipping her locker as she went. When she arrived, she found Jeremy waiting in the room with his bag on the teacher's desk which he was leaning against.

"Hey, what's up?" Scarlett asks as she shook her bag from her shoulder and dropped it on the floor next to the door.

"Have you heard from Anna recently?" Jeremy asked as he pushed off the desk.

"No. Why?" Scarlett asked as she folded her arms.

"I'm starting to worry about her. I've been calling her and she's not answering," Jeremy explained with a worried look on his face. Scarlett offered him a sympathetic smile as she stepped towards him, placing her hand on his arm and gently rubbing it affectionately.

"Jer, she's a vampire, a pretty old one too, which makes her super strong. I'm sure she can take care of herself."

"I'm not sure," Jeremy said as he shook his head. "I mean think about it, we're basically her only friends, so why would she dodge all our calls?" Scarlett had to admit it was odd, but she was still sure Anna could take care of herself. She'd beaten her before so Scarlett knew what Anna was capable off. But she could feel the worry radiating from Jeremy and she was beginning to get the seem feeling as him, that something wasn't quite right with this.

"Alright… Let's say there is something wrong, what are we going to do about it? We don't know where she is, we can't call her, what's your plan?" Scarlett questioned. She'd been expecting Jeremy's face to drop at that, she didn't like it but if he really wanted to go looking for Anna he'd have better have a plan. But his face didn't drop, instead he looked Scarlett square in the eye with an irritated look. At first Scarlett thought he was mad at her for pointing out the obvious.

"We go and ask Elena," Jeremy declared.

"What?" Scarlett said in confusion as her brow lowered.

"She might know where Anna is," Jeremy suggested.

"Jeremy, I don't think-" Scarlett began to say but Jeremy cut her off, just like he'd been doing every time Scarlett had tried to defend Elena's actions. She understood why, he didn't want to get mad at her but the mention of his sister's name recently just set him off. She understood how it must feel to lose his memories. She'd lost hers too, but unlike Jeremy she'd gotten them back and had gotten to know the people that took them away. Jeremy didn't know them and now felt alienated from his sister, someone he'd trusted dearly.

"She's talked about her in her diary before, maybe she knows what's happened to her," Jeremy continued.

"If she did then I'd know. Sarah keeps me up to date remember," Scarlett pointed out but it did little to sway Jeremy.

"But you don't know that for sure, and even if she does, what if Elena knows something and Sarah doesn't," Jeremy argued though he managed to keep his voice level and in control. He was definitely trying to avoid fighting with her. She would have been more irritated with him for that if she didn't see the point he was making. She couldn't say for sure that she knew everything Elena knew. So there was a possibility Elena might no something about Anna, but Scarlett wasn't willing to give the idea much thought.

"Jer, I know you're mad with your sister," Scarlett tried to reason but Jeremy was done with this discussion.

"I'm going to have to talk to her sooner or later about all this anyway," Jeremy admitted as he grabbed his bag, slinging it over his shoulder before heading for the door. "Might as well do it now since she might know something about Anna," Jeremy said with a shrug, his shoulders tense as he walked out.

"Jeremy," Scarlett called after him, grabbing her bag before following him out. She caught up to him in the hall but even then he refused to back down no matter what she said. So rather than continue fighting she just followed him in mutual silence before walking outside into the parking lot where several students were helping to decorate and construct the floats for the Founders' Day Parade. Scarlett, along with more than half the school and teachers, though this was the most stupidest thing ever. But whoever was in charge of everything clearly wanted them to waste school time doing it so for the rest of the week anything Founders' Day took priority.

"Elena!" Jeremy called out as he began to march, Scarlett now having to put effort into keeping up with him. Elena had been walking off somewhere else but stopped when she heard Jeremy calling.

"Hey," she greeted the two before she began walking again with Jeremy and Scarlett following. "Have either of you seen Stefan? I need to find him." Scarlett could tell from the subtle look it was something supernatural and that she'd hear about it eventually, but right now she was more concerned with the argument that was about to occur between the two Gilberts.

"No, not lately. Listen, do you have a second?" Jeremy asked, fight now gone from his voice and sounding little more friendly.

"Yeah, what's up?" Elena asked as they continued on, looking this way and that in case she caught sight of either Stefan or his sister.

"Well, it's Anna." At that Elena stopped, turning to Jeremy to give him her full attention while sending Scarlett a confused and worried glance. "We've left her all these messages and she hasn't gotten back to us, not even a text," Jeremy explained while Elena's gaze slowly drifted over to Scarlett who began to grimace. The last thing she wanted was to get dragged further into the sibling feud than she already was.

"Anna? I didn't know that you guys were still friends?" Elena said, her gaze now more on Scarlett and mentally asking, what they hell is going on?

"Yeah, well, we are," Jeremy said, attitude seeping into his voice. "Look, something could be seriously wrong and if you know anything you've got to tell us."

"I haven't talked to her, Jer," Elena said as she brushed her hair back behind her ear.

Jeremy stared at his sister for a moment before asking, "Are you lying to me right now?"

"Why do you say that?" Elena asked, taken aback by the accusation. Her eyes darted over to Scarlett, hoping for a hint at what was going on but Scarlett just lowered her head, reaching up to scratch the back of her neck.

"'Cause that's what you do, Elena, you lie. You lie about everything," Jeremy declared angrily before leaning in to whisper the rest. "I know what Anna is and I know about Scarlett and I know that you know. So tell me, do you have any idea where she is?"

"No, but, Jer…" Elena said but Jeremy was already done, knowing his sister knew nothing about his friend's disappearance he brushed past her and took off with Elena turning to look after him. "Jeremy, wait!" Elena called after him. At that moment, Scarlett reached forwards and placed her hand on Elena's shoulder. The older girl looked back and was met with sincere blue eyes.

"I'll talk to him," she promised before jogging off after Jeremy, calling after him as she ran.

* * *

Hearing a heavy thud of metal followed by a painful scream, Sarah's head swung when she heard a familiar voice cry out. "Get this trailer off me!" Through the crowd she quickly spotted Matt, lying on the ground, his arm trapped beneath the half built float that was now crushing his arm. While several members of the football team, including Tyler, rushed forward to try and lift the float, Sarah looked to Stefan. He nodded and the two rushed forwards, pushing through the crowd before reaching the float. With the added muscle around no one noticed their added vampire strength as the float lifted and Matt dragged himself free while Caroline rushed onto the scene.

"Caroline, call an ambulance," Stefan quickly ordered as he and Sarah ran around the float to check on Matt.

"How does it feel?" Sarah asked as she knelt down next to Matt, lightly grabbing his arm like she was holding an injured animal, careful not to make things worse or move it too much.

"Painful," Matt groaned, Sarah continued to feel his arm, each movement of her finger making Matt wince in more and more pain until finally he snapped. "Can you please stop!" Sarah jumped at his raise voice but was careful in removing her hands from his arm. "Sorry," Matt apologised with a shameful look.

"It's alright," Sarah said with a small understanding smile but it was quickly replaced by a serious look as her hand moved just above Matt's arm. "It's broken, but I can't tell to what degree. You really need to get to a doctor as soon as possible," Sarah said before hearing Elena cry out.

"Jeremy! Jeremy!" Sarah looked over and then looked over to where she last saw Jeremy, eyes widening when she spotted Scarlett lying on the ground. She looked to Stefan and he rose, moving over to go and check on Elena.

"Tyler, watch him," Sarah said as she stood up, motioning with her hand for the teenager to watch Matt.

"I don't need-" Matt began to protest.

"Shut up, and wait for Caroline to get back here with the ambulance," Sarah said sternly before running over to Scarlett, brushing the girl's hair aside, checking to see if there was any injures. If there had been anything bruised, it had healed now. Scarlett's eyes were already fluttering open as Sarah helped sit her up against a nearby car.

"What happened?' Scarlett asked, rubbing her head as she screwed up her face. Sarah opened her mouth to answer but then Scarlett's eyes shot open and her hand dropped. "Where's Jeremy?" Sarah gave her a sorry look and felt horrible when she saw the fear flood into Scarlett's blue eyes. "Jeremy. Jeremy!" Scarlett called out as she stood up, using the car to pull herself up. "Jeremy!"

"Scarlett, look at me. Look at me," Sarah said as she grabbed hold of the teenager and turned her around to face her. Her eyes now glowing a furious gold. Admittedly Sarah did feel a primal fear arise inside of her, but she shoved it down because she knew Scarlett was just scared and needed her help. "We're going to find him. Just don't panic." As she reassured her, the glow began to leave Scarlett eyes, but her breathing remained just as laboured. "Come on, let's find out what's going on," Sarah said as she took Scarlett's arm and began to lead her over to Elena and Stefan.

The two joined the couple just as Elena finished rapidly explaining everything to Stefan. He then explained it to Sarah and Scarlett while Elena filled in the gaps. Afterwards, Elena then grabbed Bonnie and the group retreated into the school to discuss what to do next. They all now knew Isobel had Jeremy hostage and was threatening to kill him unless Elena handed over the device, the device Damon currently possessed and wasn't going to be handing over any time soon. Especially if it could be used to kill vampires such as himself and his siblings. Even Sarah wasn't too sure she wanted to hand over such a weapon to someone like Isobel, particularly if she was working for Katherine.

Nevertheless, they got themselves set up in Alaric's classroom and started to discuss the matter.

"Where's the device now?" Bonnie asked, making sure she had all the facts before she stared throwing out her opinion on the matter, though Sarah was pretty sure she already knew where the young witch stood.

"Damon has it. He's going to be difficult to reason with," Stefan answered from in front of the desk Bonnie was sat at while Elena paced back and forth nervously, worrying about her brother. Sarah would have felt bad for her if she wasn't more worried about Scarlett who was stone still with her arms folded. Her nails digging into her arms. She was leaning against Alaric's desk next to her and while Sarah was watching Bonnie and Stefan, she also had one eye on her teenage ward.

"We'll go to him, I'll talk to him," Elena said in a not so confident tone, more like she was bargaining than demanding.

"And say what?" Sarah asked with a questioning frown as Elena turned to her, bitting her lower lip when she realised she didn't have an answer. The brunette groaned in frustration as she ran her hands through her hair desperate for a solution which would keep her brother safe. "Sorry, but Damon's not just going to hand it over because you said pretty please," Sarah said with a sorry shrug to Elena who once again began to pace.

"Especially if it's harmful to vampires," Stefan added. Then Elena stopped and lifted her head, an idea flashing through her eyes. She turned to Stefan and Bonnie and Sarah frowned curiously, wondering what the girl had.

"What if it's not?" Elena asked, a mental lightbulb shining above her head.

"This is stupid!" Scarlett suddenly snapped, slamming her hands down on the desk she was leaning on. Everyone turned to her but whereas the others had surprised looks, Sarah shot the teenager a warning look. Mentally telling her to calm down. Scarlett didn't seem to care, her jaw clenched as she heavily exhaled. "This isn't going to get Jeremy back."

"Scarlett, calm down," Sarah said in a low serious tone.

"No," Scarlett snapped back before turning on Elena. "You're stupid vampire mother has your brother and you're doing nothing to help find him," Scarlett said as she pointed an accusing finger at Elena, a look of hurt flashed across her face.

"Outside, now!" Sarah shouted as she grabbed Scarlett's wrist and pulled her out the classroom, slamming the door behind her so that the others couldn't hear. She knew they would end up hearing her anyway but it was the principle that mattered. "What the hell was that?" Sarah demanded, crossing her arms as she glared at Scarlett who glare back at her with equal rage.

"Nobody's doing anything!" Scarlett yelled in frustration.

"Yes we are, we have a plan," Sarah argued but she could see Scarlett's point. She hadn't heard Elena's idea yet but even if they could disarm it she couldn't see Damon handing the device over. He was a savour and if there was any chance the device would kill him or his siblings he wouldn't part with it. Especially if he knew Katherine wanted it, and while Sarah was all aboard the revenge train, last stop Katherine Pierce, the timing was really bad for Jeremy.

"It's an idea. A really crappy idea!" She tried to say something else but couldn't find the words and then threw her arms up in the air before growling, her eyes flashing gold just for a second. "You know what. Forget this. I'll find him myself," Scarlett said before she turned and began to walk off.

"Scarlett!" Sarah called when the girl was a few meters away. With a groan, the teenager turned back around fully expecting Sarah to order her back or drag her. But instead she remained outside the classroom door, her arms folded. She stared for a moment and then sighed. "Good luck." Scarlett smiled a tiny thankful smile. "And don't do anything stupid, please." Scarlett turned away at that and continued on down the corridor. "And if you find anything call me!" She just hopped the call came before she made a one girl rescue attempt to save Jeremy from Isobel. She might not be that old, but she had no emotions. She was pure hard logic and Scarlett was running high on emotions and stamping on logic as she went. _Keep her safe_ , Sarah silently prayed to anyone who was listening. Though the only person she'd imagine would was Lexi and she was probably getting sick of hearing her complain and ask for favours by now.

Sarah smiled to herself. She could practically hear Lexi telling her that could never happen.

And with that she returned to the classroom, three sets of eyes instantly landing on her. "She's gone off to see if she can track Jeremy," Sarah explained as she walked back over to the group.

"Will she be alright?" Elena asked in concern.

"She's fine. Remember, Scarlett's not an average girl," Sarah said with a pointed look to both Stefan and Elena. They caught on but still seemed a little on edge about the idea. Bonnie however frowned in mild confusion before shaking it off.

"So, Elena, what's your idea?" Bonnie asked, moving on. Elena then explained her idea which was extremely simple which only seemed to make Sarah worry. She didn't say anything though and neither did Stefan but she could tell he was thinking the same thing. But they would let it play out and see how things evolved. Once Bonnie agreed to the idea, the four made their way over to the Salvatore boarding house and found Damon waiting for them. He wasn't doing an awful lot, a bit of light reading in the study that had quickly ended when the four high school students entered. They then explained themselves and Damon reacted exactly as Sarah predicted.

"Absolutely not!"


	29. No Repeats

_Review responses:_

Only reviewer: _I know, so excited for it! But as you'll see, yes, it's not a good thing when she's on edge._

PPLforeveremison: _Oh my God! What a massive review! I love it! And yeah, Sarah's humanity is a pretty big thing...at least it will be down the road. I've already been hinting at it but will continue to do so for a while. And that would all be very romantic! It's not what I'm doing though, sorry, :( But I do have big plans for those particular episodes. I've got so much planned between Sarah and Katherine and the humanity stuff does come up...but maybe not in that way. I'm also glad you're enjoying Scarlett and Jeremy too as they are a big part of this story, though the main focus is Sarah of course. And don't worry, I'm crazy too, and like you I take little things like the Sarah, Scarlett scene and my head runs wild with ideas, and great reviews like this one could never give me headaches! Thank you!_

Swan-Redb: _I won't show the meeting of Elena and Isobel, but I do have the meeting of Sarah and Isobel in this chapter, so there is some Elena / Isobel interaction. :)_

 _There's one bit in this chapter I just love, and it's mostly because – at least to me – it shows the alterations I'm starting to make in terms of the cannon and the show. Won't spoil it though, wouldn't be fair on you guys, but I really enjoyed the Salvatore Siblings in this chapter, especially when it's just the three of them. Big chapter with quiet a bit of foreshadowing! So close to finishing! One episode to go! Can hardly contain myself!_

 _And thank you to everyone who's favourited and followed the story since last time. It really does mean a lot and makes my day when I see a new name pop up, almost as much as when I hear what you guys have to say. Love talking to each of you that reviews so please don't be afraid too._ _I respond to every one and that's the same for PMs. I just love hearing what you all have to say! Hope you all enjoy the latest update to the story and I'll see you later!_

* * *

 **Chapter 29: No Repeats**

* * *

"Absolutely not!" Damon declared.

"Just hear me out," Elena said in a level tone, but her eyes were screaming for him to give her a chance.

"I'm not gonna give the device to Isobel, so she can give it to John, who is going to turn it on and kill me. I like being a living dead person," Damon said coldly, not about to budge on the matter.

"But it'll be useless, Bonnie can take its power away," Elena explained as she gestured to her friend who was quietly standing next to her while Stefan flanked her other side. Sarah had taken up a nearby armchair, leg crossed at the knee with her hands gripping the arm rests as she watched the discussion unravel before her. It was going pretty much as she'd expected. What she was waiting for was to see who caved first. Elena or Damon.

"I don't trust her," Damon said simply.

"There's a shocker," Sarah muttered loudly from the armchair.

"I can remove the original spell," Bonnie said with a level tone as she looked to Elena, cutting Damon out of the conversation. Sarah smirked, seeing that Damon was irritated by this. She liked the girl, but like Damon she wasn't sure she trusted her. She was a good person, but as Sarah knew, good people and vampires didn't mix all that well, especially if they were a witch.

"John and Isobel will never know," Elena said as she threw her arms out, as if it couldn't be easier for Damon to make his decision.

"No," Damon said with a shake of his head and a wag of his finger. "I'll get Jeremy in my own way."

"Really? How are you going to do that? Because Isobel is a vampire and Jeremy could be dead the second you walk in the door," Stefan argued as his older brother glared back at him, seeing the flaw in his otherwise brutally rubbish plan. Damon then turned towards Bonnie, honing his gaze on the witch.

"Are you even up for this? I mean no offence, you're no Emily Bennett. Emily knew what she was doing," Damon said with a smug grin, thinking he'd found the flaw in Elena's plan now.

"I've been practising," Bonnie replied.

"It's not piano lessons, Honey," Damon bite back with a glare.

"I think what my brother is trying to say, Bonnie–" Sarah began as she stood up, walking over to Damon and resting her hand on his shoulder. He turned his glare on her but that left Bonnie alone and she turned her preaching dark eyes on Sarah. "–is that we've run across a few witches in our time, all with different levels of power. If you could, would you show him a little of what you can do?" Sarah asked as Damon frowned at her.

"Since when did you get all friendly?" Damon muttered as Sarah shot her brother a sarcastic smile.

"What's your favourite book?" Bonnie asked Damon as she stood up straight.

"What?" he asked turning back to the young with along with everyone else.

"Name a book, any book."

"Name a book…" Damon murmured to himself as he pondered, folding his arms as he thought. "How about 'Call of the Wild', Jack London," Damon said with a challenging grin. With that Bonnie turned away and stepped towards one of the many bookshelves. She lifted her hand towards the shelf and closed her eyes, concentrating. They waited a couple of seconds and then a book shot out from the bookcase and flew right for Damon. It would have hit him in the face had he not reacted and caught it with ease. He turned the book over, reading the title and author. "Jack London," Damon murmured, mildly impressed as he looked to his two siblings. Both rose their eyebrows, impressed, but they'd already had an idea of what Bonnie was capable of. That had been nothing, truth was most witch could do it. And as Damon put it, "Great parlour trick."

"We're doing this, Damon," Elena said forcefully as Damon threw the book aside, done with the low level magic he knew it to be. "And we're doing it my way. Now give me the device. We're wasting time," Elena said as she held out her hand, pleading with the eldest Salvatore to give her what she needed to save her brother. Damon looked at her hand, then her face. Then he looked over to Bonnie, eyes narrowing.

"I don't trust you, I tried to kill you."

"You've tried to kill everyone in this room," Sarah said sarcastically as she folded her arms. Damon just ignored her, keeping his now serious eyes on Bonnie.

"You're right, you can't trust me," Bonnie agreed as Sarah cringed and Stefan gripped the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger.

"But you can trust me," Elena said as she stepped up to Damon. He turned his attention back to her, staring her in the eye while everyone else watched closely, waiting to see who blinked first. Damon's eyes flicked over to Stefan who stared back at him, watching his brother closely.

"You really think this is a good idea?" Damon then asked as he turned to his sister.

"I think I want to save Jeremy before anyone gets hurt," Sarah answered as she locked her green eyes with her brothers cool blue eyes. He bit down on his lip before rolling his lips in and then turning back to Elena. He relaxed and stared at Elena once more. Then he pulled out the device and placed it in Elena's hand.

"Thank you," Elena said sincerely. Damon merely nodded in response before walking past her, grabbing himself a short drink, just so he had something else to do with his mouth other than irritate Bonnie.

"What do you need?" Sarah asked, talking to Bonnie.

"Just a table and some candles," Bonnie said as she went for her bag, pulling out the journal Elena had given her along with her own spell book.

"I'll get the candles," Sarah said before looking to Stefan and pointing. "You got the table?" Stefan nodded.

"Do you need a hand?" Elena asked as she turned to Stefan.

"No, I've got it. Just try to stop Damon from annoying Bonnie," Stefan said with a smile before he and Sarah walked out, grinning between each other. It was a few minutes before they both returned, Stefan with a wooden desk and Sarah with three wax candles. Setting the table up by the fireplace, Sarah placed the three candles down before stepping back, letting Bonnie set up her work place. She lay out the two books and lit the candles with a quick incantation. She then opened up the device and pulled out the gear in the centre. She lay it down on the table and raised her arms, closing her eyes and focusing.

From behind Damon began to hum in a mocking manor. Sarah elbowed his side, quickly shutting him up while Stefan and Elena glared at him from the other side. Bonnie continued with her spell and then the gears on the table lifted up, raising to the same height as her arms. The flames in the fireplace behind her erupted with power, as if someone had just thrown gasoline on them. Elena jumped towards Stefan, wrapping her arms around him while Sarah and Damon just took a cautious step back, not wanting to get burnt. The lights then shut off, only the roaring fire providing light as Bonnie chanted away until suddenly, she stopped. The lights flipped back on and fire died down as Bonnie lowered her arms and the gears dropped back onto the table.

"Done," Bonnie said simply as she put the device back together in a second.

"Great, now what?" Damon said mockingly as Bonnie handed the device over to Elena, the two sharing a smile.

"Now we give it to Isobel," Elena said as she looked up at the three vampires who were all ready to go.

* * *

Scarlett had been switching back and forth between Wolf and human since she broke off from Sarah and the others. Doing what ever she could to keep the faint trace of Jeremy's scent in her nostrils. She'd caught some shady looks from passers by when she'd been pulling on thrown out cloths in alleyways. It didn't matter though. Nothing mattered until she found Jeremy.

The scent was faint now and as the night drew in it was only getting weaker. So hard to track that Scarlett was doubling back on herself three, four times in a row just to make sure she was still on the right track. She was even crawling on the ground at on point, desperately clinging onto the scent while trying to push aside the other stronger ones. She'd received some more dirty looks from people on the street but anyone that got to close she simply growled at and they kept walking.

She had been starting to lose hope when she reached a street of fancy houses and caught a fresh whiff of Jeremy's scent. She stopped, inhaling until her lungs couldn't take anymore, letting that scent of his fill her. It was him...and he was close. From there each step she took was slow and careful, the fear of suddenly losing the scent a constant worry. She passed a few houses before looping back around until she confirmed where the scent was coming from. A 'foreclosed' sign stabbed into the front lawn.

Scarlett sized up the house before removing the torn jacket she'd picked up. The jeans she had on were a little tight but she could still move in them and the stained t-shirt was two sizes two big. She'd stuffed the left over material into her jeans though so that it would stay out the way. Her hand went to her necklace, checking it was still there and secure around her neck. She was ready to save him, she was ready to sink her teeth into however was inside that house.

Sprinting with all her supernatural speed Scarlett leapt onto the porch before barraging in through the door letting out an all might growl as she entered. "Oh, look," came a dry mildly irritated voice from the side. Scarlett swung, dropping down into a crouch as her Wolf features came out. Her glowing golden eyes landing on a skinny pale woman, dressed in a raincoat with long straight black hair. Nothing but coldness in her eyes. Isobel.

"If it isn't the werewolf girlfriend," Isobel said as she stared back at Scarlett. There really was no emotion in her at all, Scarlett could see that. It was a shame, Scarlett had been looking forward to seeing the fear in her eyes. "Come to save little Jeremy have you?" Scarlett growled, her whole being shaking as she charged towards Isobel, swinging her claw bearing hands. Isobel just smirked and then she was gone as Scarlett stumbled into the next room. She recovered, only to then have someone grab her from behind. She reached back, grabbing a hold of her attackers shirt and then flipped them over her head, dropping them in front of her. She had been ready to slash Isobel's throat but then stopped, realising it wasn't Isobel but a man. That hesitation had allowed the man to roll over, climbing up to his feet before punching Scarlett hard in the gut. It wasn't strong enough to do lasting damage but enough to force her to stumble back. Next thing she knew she was falling landing on her backside as she spotted a woman at where her feet had been, crouch down on all fours.

Then came a blurring figure who landed on top of Scarlett pining her down to the floor. Isobel's smug grin appearing before her. Scarlett snapped with her teeth but Isobel was just out of reach. Then Isobel released one of her hands, using her now free hand to hold Scarlett's head down. She tried to bite her wrist but again couldn't reach. She dug her claws into Isobel's wrist but she didn't budge, didn't even scream. She clenched her jaw and then released Scarlett's other hand before ripping her necklace away.

Instantly Scarlett felt her strength leave her and her claws and canines retract. Then she finally spotted an emotion in Isobel's eyes, triumph. Her hand closed around Scarlett's neck shoving her against the ground as her hands shot to Isobel's, desperately trying to free herself from the vampire. Logic then broke through and she reached out for her necklace but Isobel held it up above her, out of reach as she continued to squirm. "It's a beautiful necklace, really," Isobel said as she admired the black crystal. Scarlett could feel her blood boiling at the sight of Isobel holding her necklace. She wanted nothing more than to rip her head off in that moment but she had no power. She was just as useless as anyone else now.

"I think I'll hold onto it," Isobel declared as she put the necklace away in her jacket pocket. "For safety." Scarlett snarled at the vampire, wishing that glares could kill. "In exchange, why don't I give you what you came here for?" With no effort what so ever, Isobel lifted Scarlett up and dragged her through to another room before shoving her to the floor.

"Scarlett!" As the teenager girl rolled onto her back, she quickly found Jeremy by her side. She looked up into his concerned eyes and felt like she was going to burst into tears. She'd failed him. She'd come to save him and now she was trapped to. What and idiot she'd been, she felt like such a fool. She should have listened to Sarah, but Jeremy had been in danger. She'd couldn't have done nothing.

"I'm sorry," Scarlett said as she grabbed Jeremy and pulled him into a tight hug.

"It's alright. I've got you," Jeremy said soothingly as he rubbed Scarlett's back. She didn't deserve it.

"Young love," Isobel's mocking voice filled the air as the two teens parted to glare up at her. She just looked back down at them, as if it was the way everyone looked at her. "Remember what that was like, John?" Isobel asked as she turned to the man bleeding in the corner next to one of the armchairs. He looked up at her, wincing as he did. There was a head wound on his forehead, a nasty one too. And from the looks of things, he'd probably just woken up after being knocked out, presumably by Isobel.

"Our friends will come for us," Scarlett declared from the ground, still holding onto Jeremy. Her hold on him on tightened when Isobel turned her way.

"Actually your friends have already called to set up a trade. I was all ready to let these two go," Isobel said as she gestured to the two men she had been holding prisoner. That made Scarlett feel even more stupid. Not only had she come alone and ran in head first like an idiot, but the person she'd been trying to save was about to be released as well? Could she do anything right? "But now that I've got you. I see no reason not to have some insurance." Then came that simple, cold, simple, smile, that made Scarlett's blood turn cold.

* * *

After Elena had called Isobel to arrange the meeting, the Salvatores and Elena had made their way over to the park. They had offered Bonnie a lift but she was fine making her own way back. It was a good thing too as it gave the three Salvatores time to plan, despite Elena's objections. Sarah hopped it would go their way and that Isobel would stick to the deal and release Jeremy, but she wasn't counting on it. Her emotions were off, and emotionless vampires could be unpredictable. So the three siblings quickly put together a plan just in case and then lay in wait as Elena made her way into the park for the meeting. The town centre was quiet, bar a few couples walking by on the surrounding streets, none giving Elena a second thought as she walked into the centre of the park. And then Isobel was behind her. Elena jumped a little and turned around to meet her birth mother who's back was too Sarah and her siblings. Just the way she liked it.

"Where's the device?" Isobel demanded.

"Where's my brother?" Elena countered.

"This isn't a negotiation. Where's the invention?" Isobel replied, edge in her voice but still lacking any form of emotion. She really had gone into the deep end of it.

"Where's my brother?" Elena repeated, folding her arms as she stubbornly stood her ground.

"Do you really think that I came alone?" Isobel asked with a thin smile. It was then Elena looked back to see Isobel's two minions walking towards her from behind. Sarah had seen them coming a mile away. Human's were much easier to spot than vampires, and these two hadn't been trying all that hard to hide themselves.

Elena then turned back to Isobel, not wavering like she once might have. "Did you really think that I came alone?" Elena countered. Isobel then turned back to see the three Salvatores advancing on her from out of the shadows, stopping with the same distance between her that her goons had from Elena. She sent them a pleasant smile and then turned back to Elena with a sigh.

"For God sakes, call home."

"What?" Elena asked with a frown.

"Call home and ask to speak to your brother Jeremy," Isobel explained. Elan quickly pulled out her phone, turning from Isobel and the other vampires. Sarah focused her hearing, just as the other three vampires had done. After a few rings there was finally an answer and Jeremy said, "Hello?"

"Jeremy, are you okay?" Elena asked quickly.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Uncle John hit his head. It was an accident."

"And we're all laughing," Jenna called from down the phone, making Sarah smirk at the woman's attitude. Even so she could still sense the tension in Jeremy's voice, like he was holding something back.

"But, yeah, I'm okay," Jeremy continued, getting to the point before cutting himself off. Sarah wanted to ask him what he was leaving out, but with Isobel in between her and Elena there wasn't much chance of her finding out. So instead she stood in between her brothers, watching Isobel and her minions carefully while also listening.

"I'll be home soon, alright?" Elena said into the phone, relief filling her voice now that she knew the danger was over.

"Yeah," Jeremy replied. Elena then hung up and put away the phone, turning back to Isobel. Then Sarah was surprised at what she saw, defiance flashing through Elena's eyes. Defiance because her birth mother had taken her brother hostage and used him as leverage in a world he never should have been brought into. Sarah could see she was having second thoughts, and she and her brothers got ready to move.

"I know what you're thinking, and if I were you, I really wouldn't," Isobel said with a sigh, yet another inconvenience she had to put up with.

"Why's that?" Elena asked with a bite to her voice as she glared back at Isobel.

"That's why," Isobel said simply as she pointed up and across the park. Everyone followed Isobel's pointing finger up the nearby clocktower. It took a second for their eyes to focus, but then they saw it. Scarlett, hanging over the side. A third compelled minion of Isobel holding her by the hands that were tied behind her back. Sarah's breath caught in her lungs and she was about to move when Stefan grabbed her arm, holding her back. Even with their speed there was a chance they wouldn't make it, especially with Isobel in their way.

For a brief moment Sarah wondered if Scarlett's supernatural healing would protect her, but then she saw Isobel pull out the Scarlett's necklace. She still had some supernatural abilities without it, but they weren't as strong and she wasn't confident the girl could survive the fall without her necklace.

"Way to go, Scrappy," Damon muttered from next to Sarah, but she was too worried to slap him for his rudeness in the situation.

"Let me make this real simple. Give me the device or your brother's little girlfriend dies." Elena looked over to Sarah, eyes searching the vampires as she silently begged Elena not to endanger the girl. She knew Elena never would, but for some reason she still wanted to check with Sarah first. Elena then reached in and pulled out the device, handing it over to Isobel. She smiled, satisfied as she held the device in her hand. Once she confirmed it was what she wanted she looked up to the clocktower and whistled sharply.

Scarlett was then pulled back from the edge and the minion released her before walking away as Scarlett collected herself, looking down at the exchange from above. Sarah wanted to rush over and check on her, but couldn't leave until she knew Isobel was gone and not coming back.

"You were never gonna hurt them," Elena said as she folded her arms, watching her brith mother.

"No, I was going to kill them," Isobel said simply with out an ounce of hesitation. "Don't look for any redeeming qualities in me. I don't have any."

"But you took a risk with Damon. How did you know that he was gonna give it to me?" Elena asked, genuinely curious as to why Isobel had made such a bold move.

"Because he's in love with you," Isobel said. Sarah's head shot towards Damon who was nervously looking past her and over to Stefan. She looked back to her other brother, seeing him lower his head before turning back to Damon who still looked uncharacteristically nervous.

"Oh for God sake," Sarah groaned quietly as she let her head roll back slightly. _Why? Why were her brothers just so unbelievable stupid?!_ She then rolled her head back, shaking it off as Elena had. This was something she'd deal with later, now they had to conclude their business with Isobel and get her out of Mystic Falls.

"Thank you," Elena then said as she stepped up to Isobel.

"For what?" Isobel asked.

"Fore being such a monumental disappointment. It keeps the memory of my real mother perfectly intact," Elena said, surprisingly happy with the whole thing. But like she said, it was keeping her memories intact, the woman that had raised her, her mother, was still her mother. Her birth mother, the vampire, was nothing more than that. The woman that had given birth to her and then ran off to become a vampire, to hide from her emotions.

"Goodbye, Elena," Isobel said simply before walking off, her two minions following.

"Hey!" Sarah snapped. Isobel stopped and glanced back with her two minions flanking her. Sarah held out her hand. "Scarlett's necklace," she demanded simply. Isobel sent her a thin smile before reaching into her rain coat and pulling out the necklace, carelessly throwing it towards the youngest Salvatore. Sarah stepped forward, catching it and then watched as the vampire and her compelled servants walked away.

Once they were out of sight she felt Stefan move, closing the gap between him and Elena as they embrace. She watched them for a moment, glad everything had turned out alright, then looked back to Damon who had a sad look in his eye. She felt bad for him but at the same time couldn't stand to see history repeat itself again. She'd deal with that later though, now she had to get Scarlett.

She ran off in a blur towards the clocktower, heading up the old staircase until she reach the bell tower and found Scarlett sat on the floor, leaning against the wall. "I believe this is yours," Sarah said as she held out the necklace for Scarlett to take. She didn't take it. Didn't even look up. "You alright?"

"No," Scarlett mumbled. Sarah looked down at her for a second before sitting down next to her, keeping a tight hold on the necklace and the string that was looped around her hand.

"What's up?" Sarah asked as she turned to face the girl she was responsible for.

"I screwed up. Went after Jeremy, got my ass handed to me. Forced you guys to hand over the device that is going to kill you all." Sarah smiled softly at her for a moment before nudging her, prompting her to looked over to her at last.

"I'll let you in on a secret. Bonnie, de-spelled the device. It's useless now."

"I still screwed up," Scarlett repeated as she looked away.

"I'm over a century and a half old. How many times do you think I've screwed up?" Sarah asked rhetorically.

"How many days in a year?" Scarlett asked, the ghost of a grin on her lips as she looked back to Sarah once more.

"Funny," Sarah said sarcastically with a smirk. "You get my point though, right?"

"I guess," Scarlett said with a shrug.

"Good," Sarah said before forcing the necklace into Scarlett's hand. "Now put this back on and get up. I've got brother drama to deal with and you mopping because of one screw up isn't helping," Sarah said as she stood up, holding out her hand to help Scarlett up.

"You're not really good at the whole sympathetic thing, are you?" Scarlett asked with a frown as she looked up.

"You're just catching me at a bad time," Sarah said with a grin. "Now come on."

* * *

With a groan, Scarlett took Sarah's hand and let her pull her up to her feet. The vampire then patiently waited as Scarlett put her necklace back on, once again feeling whole now that the black crystal was resting on her skin. With her strength back her confidence wasn't far behind and once she and Sarah had left the clocktower, it was like she had been reborn. Sarah was right, she had screwed up but so did everyone. She just had to learn form her mistakes and move on. Her heart had been in the right place, it was just her head that needed readjusting.

Sarah led her over to Stefan and Elena who were still holding each other in the park. Once the vampire and werewolf joined, Stefan and Elena made sure Scarlett was okay before Elena then apologised for whatever Isobel had done to her. Scarlett didn't blame Elena, she had nothing to do with her mother's actions and she wouldn't have handed over the device at first either.

After that they all went home, dropping Elena off first before continuing on. Sarah had then asked her to go to her room, normally Scarlett would have kicked up a fuss. But she was still a little self conscious because of her failure and complied, heading up the stairs while Stefan and Sarah continued on through the house, presumably to confront Damon about what ever he'd done this time.

Holding back a yawn, Scarlett reached for her door handle only to then pause when an unusual scent pricked her nose. Well, unusual to find it in this house anyway. It was Anna. But as Scarlett opened the door she realised something else, she'd been crying. Crying for a while judging by the sound of her whimpering and the hint of dried tears on Scarlett's sheets.

"Anna?" Scarlett said, making herself known as she stepped into the room. Anna had her back to her, facing the open window, a window Scarlett had originally closed. The timid girl turned around, brushing her eyes with the back of her wrist as she sniffed and whimpered until she gained some sort of control. From the instant their eyes connected Scarlett could tell it was something life changing. "What happened?" she asked as she stepped around her bed before sitting down next to Anna. Her friend.

It was strange how not long ago, Anna had been her enemy. Someone who'd been out to hurt Jeremy and her and now they were friends. In such a short time too. She was even here now, crying on her bed and Scarlett was comforting her, something she very rarely. It was odd how things had changed so quickly and so fast for them, but she did truly see Anna as a friend now. Did she trust her, of course not, she'd learnt early on that in this world you have to be very careful who you trust. But unlike others Anna was at least trying.

"My…My Mom…" Anna got out in-between painful whimpers. Scarlett could have easily guessed what was about to follow but she waited patiently all the same, resting her hand on Anna's shoulder. "She's…She's…She's dead," Anna said before bursting into tears once more, throwing herself into Scarlett who surprisingly found herself hugging Anna without any negativity to her action. She knew what it was like to lose a mother, and what it could mean for you after wards. But Anna wasn't her. She'd lived without her mother for over a century. But that whole time she'd been working on getting her mother back. Scarlett couldn't imagine what that must have been like. To finally get her back after all that time only to then lose her again. She was grateful she never had to go through anything like that. Losing her mother once had been bad enough for her. So for the next few minutes Scarlett just sat with Anna, letting her cry and rubbing her back soothingly, like how Jeremy had done for her. Because that's what Anna needed now, a friend.

* * *

Sarah had been dreading this moment ever since Isobel opened her mouth at the park. "Because he's in love with you." The words still rang in Sarah's ear like a gun shot. It might as well have been. The first shot fired in whatever stupid love triangle her brothers and Elena had just gotten themselves sucked into. Before, they all might have been oblivious to that fact. They weren't now. And as they all knew, love triangles didn't have a good track record when the Salvatore siblings where involved. That's why Sarah was going to deal with this right now and put the entire thing to bed, whether her brothers liked it or not.

"Would you like one?" Damon asked as Sarah and Stefan walked into the study, Scarlett now safely upstairs and out of the blast zone. And considering what they were about to discuss, Sarah was certain there would be one.

"Sure, why not," Sarah said, voice tight as she and Stefan leaned down against the banister, looking over to the small bar Damon was stood at. He looked over smirking before filling up another glass.

"I'm sensing some kind of family intervention, is coming my way," Damon said as he finished preparing the drinks, only to turn around and be met by Sarah who was now stood in front of him. Without missing a beat she grabbed Damon's throat and shoved him back, sending him over the bar and onto the couch, where he then rolled over onto the floor, landing on his back. The two glasses shattered somewhere else in the room, and before Damon could recover Sarah was on top of him, straddling him as her hands held down his arms.

She then leaned down, face inches from her brothers, nothing but warning in her eyes. She wasn't playing around anymore. She would not let history repeat, not after everything they'd been through in the past few months. Meeting Elena, discovering Katherine was still alive, her brother trying to free her only to find out she'd never been trapped and then finally moving on…as a family. There would be no repeats no playback, that chapter was closed forever and she would not Elena become the second Katherine Pierce.

"I know how stupid you are when it comes to picking women so let me make this perfectly clear. Elena, is off limits!" Sarah said, raising her voice so that Damon could clearly hear and understand what she was saying. "I know you care about her, I know you're stupid enough to confuse that for love. So I'm going to make it nice and simple for you. You don't love her. You care about her, because she is your friend, but you do not love her!"

"I know that," Damon said with a screwed up face from beneath Sarah, doing very little in terms of fighting back. Maybe that was because he knew how serious this was to his sister and new how deadly she got when provoked, especially when in a state like this.

"No, I don't think you do," Sarah said with a shake of her head. "So I'm going to say it, that way, Stefan isn't the jealous boyfriend. That way, you can't turn it into some idiotic rivalry that will tear this family apart. You don't love her. Got it!" Damon stared back at his sister for a moment, contemplating his answer before reluctantly nodding. He may not be willing to admit it yet but Sarah would make him believe it one way or the other. He didn't love Elena. She was his friend and his brother's girlfriend. He just had so few people that cared about him, and that he let in, that it only seemed like Elena was that special someone. She wasn't. She wouldn't be. And Sarah would never let her be. Because if she was, it would end in nothing but disaster for them all.

"Good," Sarah said as she got up, allowing Damon to sit up, eyes remaining locked with his sister's until she walked off to fix herself another drink.

"She get in everything you wanted to say, Brother?" Damon groaned, rubbing the back of his head as he sat up. When no response came he looked back over at his brother who was still leaning over the banister, brow raised as he kept his lips sealed. When his eyes finally connected with Damon's, Stefan merely shrugged before both looked to Sarah who swiftly downed the small drink she'd prepared for herself. She let her hand drop, the glass landing on the bar top with a loud click as she sighed.

"Well, I guess since Sarah's now the manager of your relationship, you might as well let her tell Elena." Sarah's eyes moved over to Damon in an irritated fashion, watching him as he got up, stretching his back this way and that before turning to face her and Stefan.

"Tell her what?" Sarah asked slowly while her matching eyed brother moved from the banister. Descending the small set of stairs so that he was stood along side Sarah with the minibar and couch in between them and Damon.

"The truth," Damon said as if it where obvious, only further irritating Sarah. He was trying to undermine her, make her look like a fool after she'd just torn him a new one. It was his childish way of getting back at her and annoyingly it was working as Sarah clenched her jaw.

"What truth?" Stefan asked, hands in his jean pockets with his classic frown lining his forehead.

"About John," Damon said with knowing smugness.

Again Sarah vamp speeded in front of her brother but this time she didn't attack. She stared him down, watching his smug blue eyes with her own threatening green ones. She was giving him a chance this time, a chance to be honest, but still letting him know that she wasn't standing for his games any longer. There was too much at stake now. "You have three seconds to start explaining yourself."

Damon just smiled back down at her, feeling like the bigger man once more. "I'm not joking, Damon," Sarah said, eyes proving to him she wasn't. She saw him visibly step back, a flash of worry across his face before it returned to neutral. "Start talking," Sarah ordered.

Damon shook his head, his smug smile returning. "Am I the only one around here who has the ability to put two and two together?" Damon asked as he looked up, eyes darting from his sister to his brother in case one of them suddenly figured it out. Neither did.

"Isobel. Hello? She dated John when she was fifteen. She got pregnant and ends up at the doctor's office of John's brother. Now, what do you think John's role is in all this?" Sarah had lost the threatening look in her eye now. A look of confusion replacing it as she tried to work out what Damon was saying. "I mean, go ahead, and think about it, I'll wait." It was only when he finally shut up Sarah was able to piece it together, apparently at the same time as Stefan as Damon began to jeer them. "Did you get it? Either of you there yet?"

"So you think John is Elena's father?" Stefan finally said aloud.

"Ding, ding, ding, ding!" Damon rang out as he tapped his noise, indicating that his brother was in fact correct.

"What proof do you have?" Stefan asked.

"I don't need any proof, that's a DNA test for John, Elena and Maury Povich to deal with, but I know how well you deal with these bombs so…" Damon said smugly as he began to back away, pointing at his brother and fully implying that he be the one to tell Elena. "Sleep tight." He went to leave but Sarah didn't give him the chance, stepping out into his path before he could walk out. Dramatically Damon sighed, rolling his head before meeting his sister's gaze. "I've told you what you wanted to hear. I've promised not to go after Elena. What else do you want?"

"You're not to tell Elena about this, do you understand," Sarah said simply.

"I'm her friend, Sarah. If she asks I'm going to tell her," Damon said with a shrug, as if it was a fact of life.

"You're not going to tell her, full stop, Damon. Stefan will tell her some point during the next few days." Sarah then paused as she turned to look back at her other brother, making her next point clear to him. "Because he's her boyfriend. And because if he doesn't then I'll have to tell her to prevent one of you two idiots from doing something stupid." Stefan nodded, showing her understood.

"Could you stop calling me and idiot for like five seconds please?" Damon asked in a typical Damon complaining way.

"It's alright, I'm done," Sarah said, turning back to her eldest brother. "For now at least," she added warningly before turning and walking out the study leaving her brother behind.

"Who's going to clean his mess?" Damon called after her as she walked through the archway.

"I figured you two are over due a bonding experience. Why not start by cleaning this up," Sarah shot back, vanishing from ear shot before Damon could come up with a reply. It had been a long day and she didn't want to end it with Damon getting the last word, so she'd just gone upstairs. She was heading for her room when Scarlett stepped out hers. Sarah caught sight of Anna but didn't get a chance to say anything before Scarlett pulled the door shut behind her.

"Listen. Anna's mom's been killed. A day or so ago by the sounds of things." She paused, letting Sarah absorb that sudden bombshell before she continued. "She's got nowhere else to go and she can't exactly stay at Jeremy's, what with John and everything." _He was most likely the one that killed Anna's mother anyway_ , Sarah thought but decided to keep quiet for now. "Would it be alright if she stayed here for a few days?" Scarlett asked sheepishly.

Sarah sighed, running her hands along her face before sighing again. It wasn't exactly ideal but if she had nowhere else to go she couldn't exactly say no. And she knew Anna wasn't all bad, she'd known her a little back in the 1800s and even now she'd only wanted her mom back. "Alright, fine, but she stays in your room until I say otherwise. I don't want Damon stumbling into her. Last thing I need is another argument with him," Sarah said as Scarlett smiled thankfully back.

"Thanks, Sarah."

"Just, go to bed and get some sleep, please," Sarah said with a tired smile which Scarlett returned.

"Okay. Night," Scarlett said as she opened her door back up and stepped into her room.

"Night," Sarah sighed as Scarlett closed the door.


	30. Founder's Day

_Review responses:_

PPLforeveremison: _I'm glad each chapter continues to give you more and more ideas, hopefully this one will keep up the trend, can't wait to see what you think of it. But no, Sarah would never work with Katherine, not after everything she's put her and her family through. She's basically Sarah's own personal_ satan, _at least in her eyes. I'm glad the last chapter was a favourite for you though, and I loved Scarlett's little hero moment too, even if it did backfire. And yes, Sarah's trying to put a stop to the love triangle before it gets out of control, but not because of jealousy, more out of fear._

Jwugetmoney: _Thanks, but you'll have to wait and find out..._

Only reviewer: _She indeed doesn't know...Anna should probably tell her before she kills one of her friends with a stray bite..._

 _Final episode! AAAHHH! I'm just so excited, not only to finish this season but to get onto the next! Also, it's almost_ _Christmas! And I've finished my first block of my second year! It's all celebrations at the moment, I love it. Lots of stuff for Sarah and Scarlett in this one, I jump perspectives quite a few times, but I really like the opening for this one too, and you'll soon see why._

 _Also, since this is the 30th chapter, I'm going to give a shout out to another fan fiction story...unfortunately I haven't been able to read as much fan fiction recently, so I'll point out an old story that I've been reading on and off for a while. It's a Firefly fan fiction titled ' **Nothing In The 'Verse** ' by ' **Dongyrn** '. So two reasons for picking this one. Firstly, it's firefly, nothing else really needed and if you haven't seen it, watching it. Now! Secondly is that Firefly's always been a Christmas thing for me, mostly because that was when I first saw it and I binged it like twenty times when I first got it, and this fic captures the show for me in an original way. So please go and check it out!_

 _And thank you to everyone who's favourited and followed the story since last time. It really does mean a lot and makes my day when I see a new name pop up, almost as much as when I hear what you guys have to say. Love talking to each of you that reviews so please don't be afraid too._ _I respond to every one and that's the same for PMs. I just love hearing what you all have to say! Hope you all enjoy the latest update to the story and I'll see you later! One more chapter to go!_

* * *

 **Chapter 30: Founder's Day**

* * *

A few quiet days had been just what Sarah and the others needed. After all the drama of the last few months, it was finally all behind them. They'd dealt with the tomb vampires, sending those that still lived packing, they'd helped Stefan gain control of his bloodlust once more, and had given Isobel what she wanted. Sure sooner or later she'd turn up again once she discovered the device didn't work properly, thanks to Bonnie, but for now, it was all peaceful.

Anna was still staying with them, despite Damon's complaining. Sarah and Stefan had eventually managed to convince him to leave the poor girl alone. She had just lost her mother after all and Sarah, like her brothers, could sympathies with that pain. They'd all lost their mother when they were young, but hearing about Anna's loss, it brought some those memories back. And like Scarlett had argued the day after she arrived, they couldn't very well turn her away when she'd come to them for help. She'd turned over a new leaf and she just wanted a normal life. Only now she had to live it without her mother.

Grudgingly Damon had conceded before stomping off into the depths of the house to be alone and moody. They'd left him for the rest of the day and other than a few hostile remarks the next day, everything had been fine. And things only brightened up when Founders Day arrived. Initially Sarah had been dreading the event, until she released she was able to get out of it. She'd done her part to help with the set up but unfortunately not everyone could be on a float. They had apologised to her profusely since she was a member of a founding family, saying they could probably find her place if they really looked but Sarah had assured them it was fine. Pointing out that at least she'd get to watch the whole parade and enjoy it with the rest of the town. Mrs. Lockwood had liked that answer and had soon after put the matter to rest, and Sarah was free from the cursed Founders Day parade.

Stefan however wasn't so lucky. And Sarah had to admit, it was a delight to see him in his period appropriate outfit, watching him squirm as Sarah teased him. He knew it was all in good fun, but he still wasn't happy about it. When they'd made their way through the house, Scarlett had burst out laughing at the sight, thinking he looked like a right idiot. Anna had been quite polite though, saying he looked nice and barely a day over one-hundred and fifty. It wasn't surprising which one Stefan ending up like most that morning.

Now the two where at the school, waiting for the parade to begin as everyone ran around getting the last of the floats set up while Mrs. Lockwood shouted out orders and ran from one end of the parking lot to the other. Stefan and Sarah just stood off to the side, waiting for Stefan's cue to join Elena, Matt and Caroline on the Miss Mystic Falls float. Caroline was around, assisting Mrs. Lockwood where she could with Matt following her. Elena was still to arrive, presumably still getting ready unless some new threat had shown up in town and attacked her without the Salvatores knowing.

"Look at you, all retro." Sarah's mind broke away from the thought of any potentially new threat to their safety and turned to find Damon walked over towards her and Stefan. Odd considering this was a high school and a public place, two things Damon hated very much.

"What are you doing here?" Stefan asked, beating Sarah to the question.

"Why wouldn't I be here?" Damon said with a carefree shrug. "Bonnie deactivated the Gilbert invention, Isobel is gone and it's Founders' Day! I'm here to eat cotton candy and steal your girl." He shot his siblings a devilish grin before suddenly grimacing in pain as Sarah grabbed his hand at vamp speed and twisted back is daylight ring finger. He did his best to regain control over his facial muscles and looked over to a glaring Sarah.

"I will rip that ring from you pretty little hand," Sarah warned simply before releasing her hold on Damon hand, allowing him to shake off the pain before flexing his aching finger.

"No need to worry, Sis," Damon said as Sarah folded her arms, ready for Damon to try and get himself above his sister, after she'd just knocked him down a few pegs. "I got the message last time. Elena is not Katherine." He stared at his siblings, smiling that smug smile of his before his face dropped in awe, lips parting slightly. "Although…appearances can be deceiving," Damon said as his brow rose. With a frown Sarah and Stefan followed his gaze only to find their mouths opening at the sight of Elena. Only for Sarah it wasn't the Elena she knew. The period appropriate dress for founders day, combined with the wavy hair. It was far too much like Katherine for Sarah's taste.

Elena then looked up, spotting the Salvatores. She smirked. A smirk that send a shiver through Sarah. It was all too much. The dress, the hair…that smile. That smile that looked like something the devil would wear. Sarah couldn't take it and had to look away when Elena began to curtsy. "I've… I've gotta go," Sarah stammered out before pushing past Stefan as he reached for her. She heard him call after her but she ignored him. She needed to breath. It had been too much of a shock. She'd never expected to see Katherine like that again. Even if she was still around she wouldn't look like that. But seeing Elena in that 1800s dress. It had sent her right back to 1864, when she'd first met Katherine.

She made her way over to an empty bench and sat down, sighing heavily as she brushed her hair from her face. She just needed to breath, to remind herself that Elena and Katherine were two separate people. Katherine was a live, they knew this, but she wasn't coming back. She'd messed with her family and then left them alone for over century. What would be the point in coming back now? She'd had her fun and moved on. Sarah just wished she could do the same.

Feeling a presence beside her, Sarah looked over to find Damon had sat down next to her. His back leaning against the table, his elbows propped up. Sarah was facing into the table, her arms now folded across each other as they rested on the surface. Letting out a tired sigh, she asked, "What do you want, Damon?"

"You alright?" The question genially threw Sarah off and she felt her face reflecting that very fact. "I know that was a bit of a shock and all…but it's just Elena, Sarah. It's not her." He reached over, placing his hand on hers, and smiled an uneasy smile. He was trying something knew, which made Sarah frown. Damon never tried new things. Especially things like caring.

"Don't do this, Damon," Sarah said slowly, managing to hold back the bite in her voice and keeping it sincere and concerned.

"Do what?" Damon snapped defensively. "I just came over here to make sure you were okay."

"And I appreciate that. But I know you, Brother." Now it was Sarah's turn to place her hand on top of her brother's. "Don't change yourself, just because you think you love her."

Damon's brow lowered into a frown and he pulled his hand from his sister's, standing as he did. "Sorry for caring then," Damon snapped before walking off. Sarah watched him go but decided to give him some time before following. He probably didn't even release why he was doing what he was doing. Maybe had really did just want to check up on Sarah and make sure she was okay. But she knew her brother inside and out and she knew when he really cared and when he was forcing it. He'd been forcing it just there and she knew it was for Elena's shake. She wouldn't mind him trying to be a better person, like herself. She was giving it a go, mostly because she owed it to Stefan after getting him high on blood and then having to put him through the whole detoxing procedure. But Damon had to change for himself, not for Elena. Otherwise it would never stick.

* * *

Knocking at the door, Scarlett waited patiently for someone to answer. Then she had to hold back a groan when she found John opening the door. She'd been hoping for any of the other three residents at the Gilbert house. Jeremy, Jenna, Elena. They were all better than John. "Scarlett. To what do I owe the pleasure?" John asked as he leaned against the door frame, blocking Scarlett's entrance into the house. And all while smiling that irritating smile of his.

"I'm here to see Jeremy," Scarlett answered bluntly as she folded her arms.

"He's upstairs getting ready for the Founders Day," John said with a nod towards the stairs. But he still didn't move. Seeing as he wasn't going to be letting her in any time soon, Scarlett let out a huff of air and then pushed her way past John. "Whoa!" John said in amazement as Scarlett continued on towards the stairs. "Quite a bit of strength you've got there." Scarlett could feel his eyes on her at that statement. She knew what he was thinking, but she wasn't a vampire. She was a werewolf and that meant if he tried to prove she was a vampire it'd backfire on him. So she just ignored him and continued on up the stairs and towards Jeremy's room.

Out of curtesy, she knocked, only to then continue on in regardless of whether he wanted her to or not. If he was naked, then he was naked. She was going to see him like that sooner or later just like he'd seen her naked as a wolf. He hadn't seen her naked as a human yet but there had been a few chances when he could have if he wanted to. He was just more respectful in that sense. Scarlett wasn't as respectful, as proven by the fact she walked straight on into his room. Only to then burst out laughing at the sight of him, much like how she had when she saw Stefan that same morning.

"Jeez, Scarlett!" Jeremy cried out as he jumped around in fright, catching his breath as his chest heaved up and down. Scarlett just continued laughing, but managed to get herself under control for Jeremy's sake.

"I did knock," Scarlett pointed out, still chuckling as she made her way over to the window.

"And then immediately came in," Jeremy pointed out. Scarlett could tell he was doing his best to remain mad at her. But if she kept doing stuff like this then she'd find him trying to hold back his anger, rather than force it out. It was still settling in her mind, she guessed. Being in a relationship. It wasn't something she'd ever really thought about. But she liked being with Jeremy and she really did have to start treating him better. If anything just because of how good he was to her.

That was something for later though. Right now the two of them had to be there for their friend.

Opening up the window, Scarlett peered out and then leaned back as Anna jumped up, grabbing onto the outside of the window before pulling herself inside. "Anna," Jeremy greeted with a smile, his irritation towards Scarlett vanishing at the sight of his friend. She smiled at him in greeting before then looking him up and down.

"Look at you," Anna scoffed, as she too tried not to laugh at the sight of Jeremy. Scarlett however wasn't as kind and just began to laugh again.

"Shut up," Jeremy said, marching over and lightly punching Scarlett on the arm which made her stop. Still grinning in delight however. "I already know how stupid I look, alright."

"Sorry," Scarlett said, though couldn't wipe the smile from her face as she stepped over to Jeremy's side and wrapped her arm around his lower back. He placed his around her shoulders and the two smiled before remembering Anna. Their friend who had just lost her mother. Admittedly Scarlett felt a little shameful for teasing Jeremy and playing around with him when Anna was right there, thinking God knows what.

Apparently Jeremy was thinking the same because he pulled away slowly and then said, "How are you? I've been worried and I feel awful."

"Why? You didn't kill my mother, your uncle did," Anna pointed out bitterly, eyes glancing down to the floor. She probably knew he was down stairs right now. The only reason Scarlett could think she was holding back was because of Jeremy. She didn't want to lose one of the only friends she had. No matter how much John deserved it.

"Are you sure it was him?" Jeremy asked. Scarlett would have slapped him had the mood not been so serious. Of course it was John.

"Who else would have done it?" Anna asked, to which Scarlett agreed.

"She's right, Jer."

"He doesn't understand, guys, it's who he is. He hates all vampires," Jeremy tried to explain. But both he and Scarlett could see Anna wasn't going to be giving in that easy.

"Are you defending him?" Anna practically snapped, even now still holding back for her friends' sakes. Desperately trying to hold onto them, the only people who really still cared about her in the world.

"No, no way," Jeremy quickly jumped in. "It's just…I do understand where's he's coming from." At that Scarlett closed her eyes in frustration. This wasn't the time to look through the looking glass and see how the other side lived. Anna was hurting, she needed to be cared for and shown affection. She needed her friends to be there for her. Not for them to turn around and justify what uncle shit head did. Yeah, he was family to Jeremy but there had to be a point where he stopped ignoring the stuff he was doing. Such as when he killed Anna's mom.

"He's convinced all the tomb vampires want revenge on this town and he's just…he's trying to protect it," Jeremy continued on, though he didn't sound too strong with his finish.

"They do want revenge." Scarlett's eyes moved back to Anna at that statement, a sense of danger rising in her. "Or at least they did, but that's why we separated from them. My mom wasn't after revenge, she just wanted her life back." The poor girl looked like she was about to break down all over again. Her better nature was telling her go over and comfort Anna but Scarlett just wasn't sure how. It wasn't something she did particularly well. Luckily Jeremy was there and he went over to her, pulling her into a light hug.

"I have to get out of this town, guys," Anna said as she pulled away from Jeremy.

"You're leaving?" Jeremy asked in worry as Scarlett stepped up to his side, not having heard anything about this since Anna started sleeping under the same roof as her.

"I've been thinking…you guys could come with me," Anna said sheepishly.

"Sorry, Anna," Jeremy said sadly. It only got worse as Anna's face dropped into despair. "But my life here. At least for now."

"Me too," Scarlett said. Looping her fingers through Jeremy's. Right now she wanted to be in Mystic Falls. Most of her life here had been hell, but now it was finally starting to brighten up. She had friends, a sort of kinda boyfriend and a family in the Salvatores. At least with Sarah. She couldn't leave all that behind, even for Anna.

"Oh," Anna sighed in disappointment.

"Anna…" Jeremy said stepping forwards only to have Anna step back.

"I'm just…gonna go. Gotta think some stuff over," Anna said. Her gaze on the floor as she turned away.

"Anna," Scarlett then said as Anna reached the window. The vampire looked back and the werewolf stepped up next to Jeremy. "If you are leaving…then, I guess…you know…good luck." Scarlett really did suck at goodbyes. She never had a problem with saying them, not sense her mother passed, but she was still learning to say them the right way.

"Thanks," Anna said with a sad smile as she began to climb out the window.

"And if you do decide to leave. At least come and say goodbye first," Jeremy added. Another sad smile from Anna as she nodded before dropping out the window. Once she was gone, Jeremy turned to Scarlett with a sad smile of his own. Scarlett sent him a similar look before pulling him into a hug, knowing he was probably needing it. And she felt it when he hugged her tightly back. Letting go for him must be a lot harder than for her. Something she'd have to keep in mind for later.

* * *

Damon had cooled off now. So had Sarah. The shock of seeing Elena in her 1800s dress had worn off and now Sarah was stood with her brother watching the parade. A pointless event that was growing more annoying with each word Mrs. Lockwood sprouted off her cue cards. And the excessively loud drums weren't helping either. Still, she stood and watched the parade go by, stood in the crowd with Damon at her side. Both had their arms folded and neither waved at the floats as they went by. At least until the Miss Mystic Falls float went by.

Sarah managed to sum up enough effort to wave back at her friends and brother as they waved to her. But when she caught Damon acting a little too flirtatious for her liking, she quickly elbowed him in the side. He glared down at her and she merely screwed her face up at him before looking back over to the float. She could tell both Stefan and Elena were thankful, even though they couldn't show it, so she winked to them, letting them know she got the message as the float moved on.

Then having filled their obligation of watching friends and family go by, the two Salvatores were about to leave when they turned and found Bonnie standing behind them. Sarah smiled to her and Bonnie did her best to return it, but her focus on Damon seemed more important to her. Glaring at him before asking, "What do you want?" Sarah looked to Damon, fully expecting some hostile remark, and ready to shut him up if he got too far.

"Just watching the parade," Damon said, surprisingly neutral for once. Bonnie just glared back at him, rolling her eyes before moving. "Where are you going?" Damon asked, starting to follow Bonnie with Sarah right behind him.

"Away from you," Bonnie shot over her should before Damon pulled her to a stop by grabbing her arm.

"Damon," Sarah warned, catching up to him.

"I wanna say something," Damon said to both his sister and Bonnie.

"Just leave me alone," Bonnie snapped, pulling her arm from Damon's grasp as Sarah moved up to her brother's side, placing her had on his shoulder and ready to pull him away. After everything Bonnie had done for them, she didn't deserve to be harassed by Damon, just because he had nothing better to do.

"Damon, leave her–" Sarah began to say before Damon cut in.

"Thank you," Damon said before either girl could stop him. Instead both looked at him in mild surprise, letting him continue as he stared at the small witch before him. "The device that Emily spelled could have killed me and my family. I don't take what you did lightly so…thank you." And hearing it again, Sarah knew he genially meant it. This wasn't something he was doing to try and impress Elena. He really was grateful and meant what he was saying. This was the change Sarah had been talking about. This was what she wanted Damon to do. On his own. For himself. And not just for Elena.

"I did it for Elena," Bonnie said harshly, still not liking Damon.

"I know that, but I'm still very grateful. And…I owe you," Damon said with a sincere look as he leaned down to Bonnie's level. He then backed up and stood up to his full height, nodding before turning away. "Enjoy the parade," he said as he walked off into the crowd.

"Sorry about that, and thank you again," Sarah said as she bowed away from Bonnie with a sheepish smile. "I'll see you later," Sarah said with a quick wave to Bonnie before running off after her brother and easily catching up to him. She sauntered up to his side and fell into step with him as they made their way through the crowd, a smile on her face.

"What you smiling about?" Damon asked with a frown down to his little sister.

"I'm just proud of you is all," Sarah said as they continued on. Damon continued to glare but then slowly loosened up and began to smirk.

The parade lasted another hour or so before finally concluding with the main floats going around the town square one last time. Neither Sarah or Damon could be bothered dealing with that so the two slipped into the Grill and got themselves a drink. It took a little compulsion from Sarah, but she got her drink and a few others while she and Damon waited for the festivities to end. Eventually though, people began flooding into the grill, all looking for food and drink after the parade. It quickly got too crowded for Sarah's liking so she got up to go and look for her other brother. She probably owed him some quality time after spending most of the day with Damon anyway.

She was on her way to the door when Elena walked in, no longer in her 1800s dress and no longer looking like Katherine's identical twin. This was the Elena she knew, the Elena she liked and called a friend. It made her smile and when Elena spotted her she smiled too. "Oh, thank god," Sarah exclaimed as the two approached each other. "That 1800s look was horrible on you," Sarah said with a critical look as she looked the human teenager up and down.

"Is that an insult?" Elena asked with a curious frown to the vampire.

"Defiantly an insult," Sarah said with a nod before the tow broke out into friendly smiles. "But you look really nice now. Let's just keep the dress code to the 21st century," Sarah suggested with a smirk.

"Sure thing," Elena said in agreement before her face then dropped slightly at the sight of something across the room. At first, Sarah thought it might have been Damon, doing something stupid to get Elena's attention. But when she looked over she just saw Jeremy and Scarlett sat in a booth, talking. Then she remembered that Elena and Jeremy hadn't been getting along to well recently. Not since he found about everything out. Scarlett had been spared from his silent treatment, but Elena wasn't as lucky.

"You want me to go over with you?" Sarah asked, nodding towards the young couple when Elena looked her way.

"No. I need to do this alone. And the last thing I want is for him to think that I'm going to ask you to remove his memories again." Sarah nodded in understanding before stepping aside so Elena could get past. Elena smiled at her in thanks before heading over to her brother and Scarlett. Sarah had been about to walk out but then caught Damon watching Elena and decided maybe she should stick around for a few minutes to make sure he didn't do something idiotic.

* * *

"So do you think she's going to leave?" Jeremy asked from across the booth as more and more people crowded into the Grill. Scarlett was just glad they'd manage to get their food when they had. Another five minutes and they would have been waiting twenty to thirty minutes.

"I don't know," Scarlett answered as she picked up one of the surviving fries and began to chew on it. Pushing it around her mouth as she thought before finally swallowing. She didn't want Anna to leave. Not that long ago though, she would have wanted her too. She might have even killed her had she not. But now they were friends. Strange but not unheard of. They'd been through a lot and it would be sad to see her go, so Scarlett was hoping she'd stay, but wasn't going to raise Jeremy's hopes by saying anything more.

"Have you seen her since this morning?" Jeremy asked, before shoving the last of the fries into his mouth before Scarlett could reach for what was left. Scarlett fought the urge to roll her eyes. He'd been pestering her about this since the parade finished. She knew he was just worried about his friend moving away, and rightly so. It was just annoying that he kept bringing it up and asking her questions. It made it that much harder for Scarlett to ignore the issue and suppress her emotions.

"No. I've not seen her. But don't worry, Jeremy. She won't leave without telling us," Scarlett said, reaching over and placing her hand on his. He smiled at her, thankful for her reassurance. Then his smile dropped and Scarlett looked over her shoulder to see Elena coming their way. "Oh, no," Scarlett murmured as she got out her side and slid in next to Jeremy. "Be nice," she hissed, but from the glare on his face she wasn't going to hold out hope. He was still incredibly bitter about what his sister had done and the only reason he probably wasn't right out leaving was because Scarlett was blocking his way out.

Elena sat down opposite Scarlett and slide over a seat so she was opposite Jeremy who puled back, folding his arms as he lowered his gaze. Scarlett sent Elena a sorry smile and Elena thanked her with her own before turning her attention back to Jeremy, leaning over with a serious look on her face. "I don't believe that we can't fix this," Elena said to Jeremy as he looked up into his sister eyes. But unlike his sister's, his eyes were cold and hard. "I lied, I was wrong. But you're my brother, Jer, and I love you, and I have to fix it. So just tell me, what can I do?" She was desperate. Really desperate. Scarlett could hear it in her voice. She looked to Jeremy, hoping he'd show the kindness he continually gave her to his sister. She clearly needed it, even just a little.

"You can go to hell, Elena," Jeremy said with a glare to his sister. Seeing the hurt in his sister's eyes, Jeremy was now done with the conversation. He gently pushed Scarlett aside and climbed out before walking off without even a glance back as Elena watched her brother walk out sadly.

"Sorry, Elena," Scarlett said as she stood up, a somewhat sympathetic look on her face.

"It's not your fault, Scarlett," Elena said sadly, still watching her brother, along with Scarlett, as he walked out the restaurant.

"For what it's wroth, he does still love you, Elena," Scarlett said as the older brunette looked back up at her. "He just needs time to get over what happened, and to understand everything." But her words didn't seem to be helping Elena all that much as the teenager sighed and leaned down on the table with her elbow, resting her hand under her chin. "I'll talk to him for you," Scarlett said as Elena looked up with a grateful smile. "See if I can nudge him along a little faster."

"Thank you, Scarlett," Elena said. Scarlett smiled in return and nodded before then jogging out to catch up with Jeremy. It wasn't terribly hard, even in the crowd of people. She had Jeremy's scent memorised by now. From there she just followed it across the street and over to the main square before catching up to him.

"Hey, wait up," Scarlett said as she grabbed onto Jeremy's wrist, pulling him back around to her. "You alright?"

"Yeah, I'm just…" Jeremy said with a sigh before pausing. He'd just been about to continue when Damon cut in from behind Scarlett.

"I just have so many emotions, but I don't have any way to express them," Damon mocked as he walked up to the two, Scarlett turning and stepping back so she was stood next to Jeremy. Both now glaring at Damon as he approached, still doing his bad impression of Jeremy. "Being a teenager is so hard."

"You're a dick," Jeremy said simply, causing Scarlett to smirk at Jeremy's remark.

Glaring at the two, Damon advanced. "You don't get to talk to me like that. I am not your sister, and from now on–" Seeing Jeremy was starting to ignore him, Damon reached forwards and grabbed Jeremy by the arm, pulling him towards him so that they were face to face. "–don't talk to your sister that way either."

"Back off, Damon," Scarlett snarled as she pushed Damon back a few steps, getting in between him and Jeremy.

"Stay out of my brat," Damon snarled back as he squared up to the girl, glaring down at her as she glare back up at him. She didn't care if he found out. She wasn't going to let him push Jeremy around or threaten him just for his own personal amusement. He tried to push her aside but Scarlett grabbed his hand and twisted it before shoving him back once more. It took everything she had not to let her eyes flash as the threat level rose.

"Easy, Scarlett," Jeremy said quietly from behind, not wanting Scarlett to get caught exposing her secret.

"I don't care what fancy, self defence moves my sister's taught you. Do that again and I'll rip your throat out," Damon snarled, advancing once more.

"Come near Jeremy again, and I'll do the same," Scarlett snapped back, feeling her canines begin to form in her mouth as she clenched her jaw.

"Scarlett. Calm down," Jeremy hissed from behind, grabbing onto her arm and pulling her back from Damon, hoping to prevent a fight. Not for Scarlett's safety, he was confident in a fight Scarlett could kick Damon's ass. He just didn't want people noticing the two supernaturals about to throw down, especially since one was his girlfriend.

"Last chance to get out of my way, Scrappy," Damon warned, his glare darkening. But despite Jeremy's tugs at her arm, urging her to walk away with him, she wasn't going to back down. The animal inside her was ready for a fight and her sights were locked on Damon. She was done letting him push Jeremy and her around. He wanted a fight, she was going to give him hell. "Don't say I didn't warn you," Damon snarled.

He stepped forwards and Scarlett did the same, both snarling at the other before Sarah and Stefan appeared at Scarlett's side, pulling her back while simultaneously pushing Damon back. "Enough," Stefan said simply with a glare to his brother, his sister backing him up. Damon still had a look of fight in him, but reluctantly backed away a single step. Once he did, Stefan and Sarah stepped around Scarlett and lightly pushed her back in line with Jeremy.

"You two alright?" Stefan asked, eyeing the two calmly along with his sister.

"Yeah, we're good," Jeremy answered for them both.

"And you?" Sarah asked, directly at Scarlett. The teenager looked up into the vampire's green eyes. Seeing both a mixture of concern and irritation in her eyes. Scarlett knew why. Sarah had warned her not to pick a fight with Damon and there she was just about to bite his head off and expose herself. And all for Jeremy.

"I'm fine," Scarlett said moodily as she folded her arms, avoiding Sarah's gaze.

"What our brother is trying to say," Stefan began to say to Jeremy, before glancing back over at Damon. "Is don't blame Elena for this," he continued as he turned back around to face Jeremy, along with Sarah. "Damon turned Vicki…and Sarah killed her." Jeremy's eyes briefly moved from Stefan to Sarah, but at the sight of her cold face look, he turned back to Stefan. Scarlett had already remembered all this. Everything from Vicki's vampire features to Sarah stabbing her with a wooden stake. But Jeremy still couldn't remember, and probably never would unless he turned into some other supernatural creature. "She was a threat to both you and Scarlett and a threat to your sister. I'm sorry that it happened."

After a moment of silence, during which Jeremy just stared back at Stefan, Sarah then spoke up. She could practically read his thoughts. Stefan wasn't seeing the point. Jeremy had liked Vicki for sure, but even then his heart had belonged to Scarlett. What he was really anger about was that his head had been played around with and he'd never even known.

"Look, Jeremy. I know what it's like to have someone play with your head. Now if you've read Elena's diary, and asked Scarlett to fill in the gaps, you'll know about Katherine." A small nod from Jeremy told her to continue. "She missed around with my head. Made me do things I never wanted too, turned my mind inside out and made me love her. It hurts, I know," she gave him a sympathetic look and he smiled a little at that. "But unlike Katherine, Elena was doing it because she wanted to protect you. She was wrong, yes. She knows that, we all do. I'm just going to ask you to try. Because I know you're not a complete idiot like my brother back there." Jeremy chuckled at that along with Scarlett, and her smile only grew when she saw Damon roll her eyes.

"And you," Sarah said with a look to Scarlett, instantly making her feel shameful. "You and I are going to have a chat later." Scarlett caught the meaning behind her words and nodded back like a child. "Jeremy, keep an eye on her for me."

"Sure," Jeremy said as he took Scarlett's hand and the two began to walk off, both looking back once more before vanishing into the crowd.

* * *

"Good cop, bad cop. I like it," Damon said as the two teenagers walked away, leaving Sarah and Stefan to talk to Damon alone. The two shared a look as they turned around to face their eldest brother, though at the moment he felt like he should be the youngest out of all of them. Mostly just because of his maturity level.

"What are you doing?" Stefan demanded, both he and Sarah now facing their brother with disapproving glares.

"He was being a punk," Damon said with a shrug and nod in the direction Jeremy and Scarlett had walked off in.

"Yeah, and you were being a dick," Sarah said back with an obvious look as Damon shot her a glare.

"Just leave Elena to deal with her brother. It's none of your business, okay," Stefan added stepping forward and holding up his hand, indicating for Damon to back off.

"I'm sorry. I wasn't aware there were only two 'do-gooder' roles available in this family. My bad," Damon replied sarcastically, eyes moving back and forth between his siblings.

"You know that's not the issue you here," Stefan said sternly, his eyes narrowing.

"I've already given him that lecture," Sarah cut in before Stefan could continue. She didn't want to go overboard on the whole 'don't go after Elena' thing with Damon. He was already getting sick of the reruns, no need for Stefan to drive him insane too. "So here's what we're going to do. You are going to go and spend the rest of the day with you're irritatingly nice girlfriend," Sarah said as she pushed Stefan aside and lined herself next to Damon, wrapping her arm around his. "And you, eldest brother, are going to show me a good time."

"Since when?" Damon asked with a frown to his little sister.

"Since I decided we needed some quality brother sister time," Sarah said with a smirk up to Damon. "Oh, look, there's a couple of tasty young things," Sarah then said eagerly as she pointed off to a couple walking hand in hand through the park. At that Damon perked up, grinning away with his sister.

"Please don't," Stefan sighed, not wanting any more drama after everything else that had been going on recently.

"You go and have your fun, Brother. We'll have our own," Damon said with a matching grin to Sarah as the two walked off arm in arm into the park. Hungry for a meal. They managed to get a few bites in, grabbing a few passing tourists and using the old snatch, eat, erase trick that Damon was so fond off. It had been some nice bonding for the two. By the time they finished, night had drawn in and they were back wondering through the crowds, looking for something fun to do now that they'd eaten. They were both halfway through the park when they felt a presence behind them.

"Anna?" Sarah said as she turned around, instantly spotting the worried look on the girl's face.

"There's something you both need to know," Anna said as she stepped towards the two vampires who had now turned to face her. "The vampires from the tomb are planning an attack tonight."

"And you know this, how?" Damon asked with a suspicious glare at the girl.

"I went to them. They think I'm with them but I'm not," Anna quickly explained.

"Why did you go to them?" Sarah asked with a suspicious frown matching her brother's.

"That doesn't matter now," Anna quickly pressed on. "The point is they want the Founding Families dead." Damon and Sarah shared a look. It was suspicious, Anna conveniently showing up to tell them all this. But she'd never really wanted them dead before. She'd just wanted her mother back, and after that she'd just wanted a normal life. Then her mother had been killed, presumably by John. That was probably why she'd gone to them, why she couldn't come to anyone in their little gang. None of them would kill John…again, but the tomb vampires would.

"When is this supposed to happen?" Damon asked, silently agreeing with Sarah to trust Anna.

"When the fireworks start," Anna said, before all three looked over to the set up stage, fireworks surrounding it and the park. All set up and ready to fire. And then the vampires would attack.

"John Gilbert will want to use that invention on them," Damon said as he turned back to Sarah who nodded in agreement. That had been his plan all along. To use the device when a large group of vampires attacked and kill them all at once with ease. It would be a good plan, had she and her brothers not gotten Bonnie to de-spell the thing.

"Then we can't be here," Anna jumped in, suddenly panicked as she looked around for the evil uncle.

"Don't worry, it's been de-spelled, it's useless," Sarah explained, turning to Anna with her brother.

"Well, then a lot of people are gonna die," Anna said with a fearful look two the two vampires.

"Where are they right now?" Damon asked, ready for a fight by the looks of things. Maybe if they were lucky they could end this before it started.

"They're already here," Anna answered.

"Crap," Damon grumbled as he and the two girls started looking around for any vampires that might be nearby. So far they seemed okay, but the vampires would be blending in, not taking any chances by wearing their 1800s' cloths and getting caught out. They would be ready for this. On the upside, no one seemed to be paying any attention to them, human or vampire.

"We might still have a chance," Sarah said turning back to the two other vampires on her side. "They hopefully won't be expecting us to step in since they outnumber us." Anna nodded in agreement while Damon waited for her to continue, keeping a weary eye on Anna. "We need to find Alaric, get some weapons to deal with these guys."

"Agreed," Damon said, glancing around to see if he could spot the vampire hunter.

"Can you go and find Scarlett?" Sarah asked, turning her attention to Anna. The vampire nodded her head, clearly thinking this was a good idea. Then again, Anna knew what Scarlett could do and what she was capable of. Damon on the other hand, was not in the know.

"What good's Scrappy going to be?" Damon asked with a frown to his little sister.

"Trust me, she'll be helpful," Sarah said to her brother. He didn't bother arguing, there wasn't time. Anna took off in her own direction and the two Salvatore Siblings went their own way, searching for Alaric until they spotted him walking along the sidewalk.

"Ric!" Damon called out, prompting the teacher to stop in his tracks and turn around to face the vampires.

"Yeah?" Alaric replied before Damon began to lead him off with Sarah flanking his other side.

"You keep those nifty little vampire darts in the car?"

"Yeah, why do you ask?" Alaric asked, frowning and already sensing the tone Damon was using.

"Because this square is crawling with tomb vampires. I think we might need a stake or two," Damon said with a pointed look.

"Grab what you can, but don't make it obvious," Sarah added as Alaric nodded to the two.

"Yeah, got it," he said before taking off towards his car.

"Now what?" Sarah asked as Damon turned to face her before spotting something over his sister's shoulder.

"We warn the damsel," Damon said simply as he walked off with Sarah following. It took her a second to spot where they were heading, then she saw Stefan and Elena walking towards them, hand in hand. Damon quickly got in front of the two and pushed them apart, sliding in between them before propelling them forward as Sarah fell into line with Elena, keeping an eye out for any vampires that might be eyeing her up. She wasn't just Katherine's doppelgänger, who screwed them all over, she was a member of a founding family. That gave the tomb vampires more than enough excuses to kill her.

"What are you doing?" Elena asked, eyeing Damon as he walked with his arms wrapped around her and Stefan. When Damon didn't answer quick enough for her liking, she looked over to Sarah who offered her a sympathetic shrug before both looked back to Damon.

"Saving your life. Fifteen words or less," Damon said pointedly before turning to Stefan to say the rest. "Tomb vampires are here. Founding families are their target. Get her out of here," he said in bullet point format before nodding to Elena at the end. "Now," he then said forcefully, seeing as he had a word to spare. He then removed his arms from Stefan and Elena and took off into the park once more.

"Wait, where are you going?" Stefan asked as the three watched Damon march off.

"That's more than fifteen words, Stefan. Sarah, keep an eye on them," Damon instructed before pointing to his eyes with two fingers, then to Sarah's before moving his fingers back and forth between her, Elena and Stefan. Then he vanished into the crowd that was forming in the park. Waiting for the firework display. A perfect laid out meal for the tomb vampires.

"Oh my God," Elena suddenly gasped, causing both Sarah and Stefan to turn to her. "Jeremy and Jenna. They're both out her somewhere," Elena said, panic gripping her voice.

"We'll find them, Elena," Stefan promised, taking hold of his girlfriend's hand and squeezing it tightly.

"Anna's already looking for Scarlett but I recon Jeremy will be with her. I'll get her to text you if she finds him," Sarah said, to which Stefan nodded.

"Alright, thanks. We'll take this side of the park, you take the other," Stefan suggested to which Sarah nodded in agreement.

"Text me if you find anything," Sarah said before turning around, her hair whipping the air as she jogged off into the crowd. Once she was on the other side of the park, she pulled out her phone and quickly sent texts off to Anna and Scarlett. Irritatingly neither replied which meant she was going to have to look for them all the old fashioned way. She had just finished putting her phone away when a familiar voice called out to her.

"Sarah!" Jenna called out, waving her over as she approached. Sarah smiled a friendly smile and ran over to join her friend.

"Jenna, hi, have you seen Jeremy or Scarlett anywhere?" Sarah quickly fired out, barely giving Jenna time to process.

"Eh, sorry, nope. Haven't seen them since the parade," Jenna said as she plopped a piece of popcorn into her mouth, a small bag in her other hand.

"Alright, Jenna. I'm about to ask you to do something really weird, but I need you to just go with it okay. It's for your own safety," Sarah said, pressing her hands together as she sent Jenna a serious look.

"Okay," Jenna laughed nervously, frowning in confusion at the teenager's words. Another one of those times Sarah hated being a teenager. In these life or death situations, adults never took her seriously.

"I need you to go home and stay there for the rest of the night, okay," Sarah explained, but already she could see the questioning in Jenna's eyes.

"Why?"

"Jenna, I don't have time for questions," Sarah suddenly snapped causing Jenna to jump at the sudden tone change. "Sorry," Sarah quickly apologised. She hated this. Compulsion would be so much easier but Jenna was on vervain. No! She was wearing vervain, Sarah could see the bracelet on her wrist.

"Sarah, what's going on? Is everything okay?" Jenna asked, placing her hands on Sarah's shoulders, clearly concerned about the girl's well being. Little did she know how serious the situation was, and that in fact she was in more danger than Sarah.

Sarah glanced down at Jenna's vervain covered wrist once more. She could do it, she could rip it off easily. Then it was just a simple compulsion and Jenna would be on her way home. She hated to do it, not because of the sting of vervain but because she knew what it was like to have someone command you and for you to have no say. Katherine used to do it to her all the time. But she'd never second guessed compulsion before, not with any of her victims. It probably just meant she cared more about Jenna than she realised. They were friends after all.

Sarah sent Jenna a sad smile before then reaching off and ripping off her vervain bracelet. The sting of the herb burnt her hand instantly, leaving behind a red throbbing mark across her palm. "Oh my God, Sarah," Jenna gasped, in a mix of surprise and horror at the fact that Sarah had not only ripped off her bracelet, but been hurt by it. But Sarah didn't have time to deal with it. She quickly grabbed onto Jenna' shoulders, bring her attention back to her eyes. They locked, and Sarah let her eyes begin to dilate.

"Jenna, listen to me, I'm sorry, but I need you to go home, right now. Okay, go home right now and don't leave until it's safe. Understand?" Sarah asked, releasing Jenna from her compulsion once she'd given her commands.

"I understand," Jenna said in a clam tone before snapping back to reality. "I guess I'll just go home then," Jenna said, a little shaken by the fact she'd suddenly decided to leave. It made Sarah squirm, knowing she was going to be regretting this for a while. She would need to make it up to Jenna in someway latter on, in a big way too. "See ya," Jenna said as she walked by before Sarah remember about the bracelet.

"Jenna, wait!" Sarah called out as the young woman turned back to face her. "You're bracelet," Sarah said, pointing down at he bracelet on the ground. She hated the fact she couldn't pick it up for Jenna herself, but she couldn't risk bringing more attention to herself than she already had.

"Oh, thanks," Jenna said before walking back over and bending down to pick up the bracelet. "I'll see you later then?'

"Sure thing," Sarah said with a friendly smile before watching Jenna walk away to safety. Now all she had to do was find Jeremy and Scarlett before the vampires attacked. And the clock was still ticking.

* * *

Scarlett was stood outside the bathrooms of the Grill, waiting for Jeremy. He'd needed to go so they'd stopped in the Grill to give him the chance before the fireworks went off. They were heading to one of the nearby roof tops to get a good view and some peace from the heavy crowd. It had been Jeremy's idea, and with Scarlett's super natural strength, she couldn't imagine it would be too hard to reach one of the three story roofs in this town. Most of them had fire escapes anyway.

She was leaning back against the wall, waiting patiently when Anna came jogging up to her. "Anna?" Scarlett said with a frown as the girl approached, an obvious look of worry on her face.

"Have you checked your phone recently?" Anna asked, sounding a little out of breath oddly enough.

"I've got it turned off. Me and Jeremy were going to head up to the roof and-" she didn't get a chance to finish as Anna quickly cut in.

"That doesn't matter. Where's Jeremy?" Anna fired out right as Jeremy walked out the bathroom, confusion quickly flashing across his face.

"Anna? What's going on?" Jeremy asked, looking between the two women.

"We all need to talk, now," Anna said firmly as the other bathroom door opened and a woman walked out. The vampire quickly looked over to the flapping door before grabbing Jeremy and Scarlett's wrists and dragging them inside. After a quick check of the stalls to make sure they were alone, Ann turned back to her two friends. Though Scarlett could have told her the place was clear after one sniff.

"Alright, here's the deal. The tomb vampires are back. They're about to attack the Founding Families, like, right now. Jeremy, you need to get out of her and text your sister to let her know you're safe. Scarlett, Sarah wants you and me to help her and the others deal with the vampires," Anna quickly explained.

"Alright," Scarlett said with a nod.

"But people will see you guys," Jeremy started to protest, eyes darting between the two supernaturals.

"Better they live to see us than die at the hands of the tomb vampires," Anna pointed out.

"She's right, Jer," Scarlett agreed, taking his hand and squeezing. He looked over to her, clearly hating that she was about to put her secret out there for everyone to see. And even more annoyed by the fact that he wasn't going to able to be with her and help her through it. At least not right away. She was so glad she had him. And even though he wasn't going to physically be with her for this, she knew he'd support her no matter what happened next.

Then, with a smile on her lips, Scarlett leaned over and kissed him. Her arms wrapped around him just as quick. One hand going for his neck, holding him against her lips while the other went under his arm and around his back, holding him close while he did the same. She kissed him, letting her lips run through the motions they'd become accustom to, parting every now and then to let their tongues connect in pure passion. Then finally they parted. He was still annoyed about abandoning her, but he looked a little happier now. "I'll be fine. Now get out of–" Before she could finish a piercing ring erupted all around her and she felt her body collapse. She screamed in pain, hands rushing to her ears as Jeremy held her up. He was shouting her name, but she couldn't respond. The pain was too much for her, it was like her eardrums were exploding over and over again. In the brief moment she managed to get her eyes open, she saw Anna on the floor, clearly in the same pain as her. Whatever was happening to her, it was happening to Anna too. At least Jeremy seemed to be spared from whatever was happening. She tried to stand but her legs gave way under her and she fell through Jeremy's arms, hitting the floor next to Anna as he bent down to help her.

"Scarlett! Scarlett!"


	31. The Bitch is Back

_Review responses:_

Only reviewer: _You're about to find out! I know, I wish they'd told Jenna sooner. She knew for like two or three episodes before they then just offed her. And like you said it could have all been avoided if they'd just told her the truth!_

Jwugetmoney: _Here it is! Hope it's worth the wait._

Charmedbycharmed: _Thanks you! It's always a worry that it won't come across smoothly but thank you for saying that it works and that it doesn't feel forced. Sorry about that, but, Isobel's oblivious to emotions, apparently. And yes, they are becoming good friends, and not long till you get to see how the Kat will play with them! ;)_

 _Here we are then. Final chapter, in this season. Gosh this was fun! A lot of action, tension and stuff to look forward too. There's just so much in this chapter I loved and can't wait for you to read it all. Mostly the stuff that I haven't really touched on as much yet, like Damon and Scarlett, Katherine in the present and then there's always Sarah's darker side._ _And now I get to move onto the second season!_ _It'll be a separate story so this will be the final chapter in this one. I'm planning on calling the next_ _story, " The Salvatore Siblings: The Cursed Ones" so you can look it up in the New Year or just check my page to find it._

 _And one last time, I'd just like to thank everyone who's read the story, favourite, followed and reviewed. It all means so much to me and I'm so terrifically thankful to you all. It really does make my day when I see a new name pop up or what someone has said about the story. So please do leave if a review if you've read the whole way through, even if it's a guest review or you're reading this a year or two from now. I'd love to hear your thoughts. Anyone that leaves a review at the end of this chapter, I'll respond to it in the next story. And if you want to PM that's fine, I'll reply eventually! I hope you'll all enjoy the last update to this story, and I'll seen you in the New Year and in the new story!_

* * *

 **Chapter 31: The Bitch is Back**

* * *

Spotting Stefan and Elena heading her way, Sarah broke through the crowd and made her way over to them in powerful strides. "Did you find them?" Elena asked quickly, upon spotting Sarah, the three coming to a stop as they met each other.

"I found Jenna. Had to rip off her vervain to compel her to leave, sorry," Sarah said with a sincere apologetic look to Elena. But she didn't seem to mind and in fact understood, nodding her head.

"It's alright," Elena said, holding onto Stefan's arm. "What about Jeremy?"

"I still haven't heard back from Scarlett or Anna and I haven't seen him," Sarah said with a sigh as she let her hands slap against her side.

"We've still got time," Stefan said positively as she looked down to Elena who nodded, bitting her lip nervously. "Let's try over here, come on," Stefan said as he nodded away from the park and lead the two women away from the square. They made it halfway across the street before a sudden painful ring shot through the air and Sarah collapsed along with Stefan, both hitting the ground as the grabbed onto their ears for dear life.

Feeling her face contort in pain, Sarah was only just managing to hold back a scream of pure pain. Not even vervain was this bad. At least with vervain she could pull away and escape the burning sensation. But this ring was unstoppable and tearing her mind apart piece by piece. She managed to roll onto her side, peering through the slit in her eyes to see Elena knelt down between her and Stefan. "What's going on? What's happening?" Elena cried out frantically at both the downed vampires.

"My head…" Stefan groaned out, cutting off right at the end before a scream could follow.

"Make it stop!" Sarah begged, digging her fingers into her head. Doing whatever she could to make this ringing noise cease.

"What do I do? What do I do?" Elena cried out in panic as her head swung back and forth between the two vampires she cared about. Then through her squinted vision, Sarah saw Alaric arrive, kneeling down next to Elena.

"I've got Stefan, you get Sarah," Alaric quickly instructed to which Elena nodded. Sarah then felt her body lifted up, gravity still trying to pull her back down. But Elena managed to hold her up, letting Sarah lean on her as she walked her over towards a side alley. She was just barely able to move her feet, doing what she could to help Elena move her painful corpse. Her head was still ringing though whatever was causing the pain seemed to fading. Even so, Sarah kept one hand, pressed against the side of her head, hoping it would help block out the noise and heal her faster.

"I don't know what happened, they both just dropped," Elena explained to Alaric as the two dragged the two near unconscious vampires into the alley and down the short staircase.

"Yeah, they're not the only ones. The cops have gotten everyone who's gone down, injecting them with vervain," Alaric explained as he lowered Stefan onto the steps, helping him sit up while Elena did the same for Sarah. Sarah had hopped getting away from the park would lower her pain, but it hadn't. She still felt her head spinning and she was sure she was about to throw up, hopefully the sounds of her gagging would at least block out the unholy ringing in her ears.

"What?" Elena said, confused by what was going on. But Sarah knew what it was, and Stefan probably did too. The Gilbert Device. Bonnie hadn't de-spelled it, or hadn't succeed in de-spelling it. It was the only thing Sarah knew of that could take down that many vampires at once, which was obviously what the vervain was for. Elena got there in the end though.

"They're rounding up all the vampires," Elena said as she looked back towards the park with Alaric.

"Please let Damon be okay. Please let Damon be okay," Sarah whispered to herself in a silent prayer. She couldn't help it. She was scared.

* * *

"Jeremy! Please, help me!" Scarlett cried out as Jeremy pulled her against his chest, smoothing her hair and doing what he could to make her feel comfortable while letting Anna lie next to him. He hated being powerless, unable to help Scarlett or Anna as they both cried out in pain, attacked by some unseen force.

"It's going to be alright. It's going to be alright," Jeremy kept whispering into Scarlett's head as he held her tightly, as if his mere presence would stop whatever was attacking her.

A sudden move from the door, caught, Jeremy's eye and he saw a police officer walk in. He took one look at the situation then mumbled something into his radio before motioning for another two officers to follow him in. Before Jeremy could even ask what was going on, the officers had Anna on her feet and injected her with something before another dragged her out. "Hey, what are you doing?" Jeremy asked, sitting up as the two officers advanced on him and Scarlett. "What are you doing?!" he then cried out when they pulled Scarlett from him, injecting her like they had Anna. He got up to pull her back but one of the officers pushed him back against the wall while the other dragged a groaning Scarlett out. She wasn't out like Anna, just weakened by whatever noise she was hearing.

"Hey, leave her alone! Leave her alone! Scarlett!" Jeremy cried after his girlfriend, trying to follow once more only to get shoved back by the officer once more. That was the last Scarlett saw of Jeremy as the officers dragged her and Anna out the side door, taking them through the side streets until they arrived at another building. Heading round the front this time, Scarlett was regaining some of her strength when the ringing increased and knocked her back out. She was on the verge of passing out, she couldn't take it. She pleaded for the officers to let her go but they just told her to shut up as the took her inside the small building. Scarlett tried to call out for help, but the pain shut her down before she could even raise her voice.

Next thing she knew she was in the basement of the building, dropped down next to a bunch of bodies, in a similar state to her and Anna. After that the officers left. A few more came back, each carrying a body before dumping it and leaving. Then the last officer came down, with John Gilbert right behind him. If she'd had the strength, Scarlett would have ripped his throat out right then and there for what he was doing. That said, she didn't know what he was doing. But considering the mass amount of bodies in the basement, it couldn't have been good.

"The device is done, the only thing keeping them down is vervain. We don't have much time, let's finish this," John said to the officer. The officer nodded back before picking up a can of gasoline, pouring it over several of the bodies, before leaving. Now Scarlett was starting to get some feeling back. The pain in her head was gone and she could feel her muscles loosening up again. The vervain was no good on her, she wasn't a vampire. But even so, the device John had used had hit her pretty hard and it was taking longer than normal for her to recover.

So she was forced to watch from the floor as John began to walk away. But before he could reach the stairs, a hand shot up from the floor and grabbed his leg. He stopped, turning back and looking down. Scarlett did the same, looking over to see it was Anna who had grabbed John's leg. "Anna," Scarlett said weakly, in fear of what John would do to her now that she'd made herself known.

"Anna," John said as he looked down, a smug grin forming on his lips. Scarlett tried to move again, but her muscles were still screaming at her to wait as they healed from the stress they'd been under not moments ago. She could do nothing as Anna tried to sit up, balancing on her elbows as she looked up desperately at John. It was useless, John wasn't going to forgive a vampire. Even a good one like Anna.

"Please…" Anna begged, still holding onto John's leg as he reached back and pulled out a stake, kneeling down over Anna. "No!" Anna cried out when she saw John lift the stake. But then it was too late. He brought the stake down, stabbing it into Anna's heart. Scarlett reached towards her friend, but she was all the way across the room and all alone as she died. Her body went lip and collapsed onto the ground. All colour leaving her body as her skin turned grey and the light in her eyes vanished.

"No," Scarlett whispered, watching as the grey veins quickly grew over Anna's body, consuming her until they suddenly stopped, marking that Anna was now well and truly dead. She was gone. Just like that. "You monster," Scarlett snarled, her voice now finding a new strength. A rageful kind. Looking up from his fresh victim, John's smiled returned when he saw a new target.

"Scarlett," John said in delight as he stood, walking over to Scarlett as she got up on all fours. But even then each of her libs were trembling, struggling to hold her weight. "I wasn't sure if I'd find you here. I'm glad I did," John said as he came to a stop before the weakened wolf.

"I'm going to rip out your throat," Scarlett snarled, glaring up at the man that had killed her friend. He was just lucky she didn't have the strength to shift. But she didn't need to do that to rip his throat out. She could do that with her normal teeth, and was intending too when she got the chance.

"No. I don't think so," John said smugly before swiftly kicking Scarlett in the side. She grunted in pain as she collapsed back onto her side. She only had the briefest of seconds to recover before another kick slammed into her ribs. She felt blood fly from her mouth, splatter over the floor as kick after kick came her way. "You, stupid, little, freak. You're, never, going to, come near, my, nephew, again!" John said through a clenched jaw, pausing each time he went to kick Scarlett until finally he stopped.

Glancing over his handy work, he straighten out his jacket before landing one last forceful kick into Scarlett's ribs, breaking at least two off them as Scarlett coughed up even more blood. Now that was twice in one night Scarlett had had the shit kicked out of her. She was beaten and once again powerless, waiting for her healing to kick in. But even in that state, she wasn't going to go down without a fight, especially not to John. "Jeremy's never going to forgive you," she said, her voice quiet, but from the look on John's face he clearly heard it.

"He will," John simply said before walking off, returning a second later with a can of gasoline in hand. He then tipped the thing over, letting the liquid pour into Scarlett's face. Her eyes slammed shut and she rolled away from the gasoline, but John followed her. Pouring the gasoline over her face for another couple of seconds before moving the can over the rest of her body, covering her completely in gasoline. "See you in hell then," John muttered as he walked off. Covering a few more vampires in gasoline as he went before heading up the stairs, leaving a trail of gasoline as he went. Then once he was out of sight. The stairs came to life in a blazing fire that shot down the stairs, lighting up several vampires as it went. It was only a mere second before the once dark basement became engulfed in a furious deadly light. And in the middle of the room lay Scarlett, covered in gasoline.

* * *

Both Sarah and Stefan were now sat up on their own. Alaric had left the alley to see what was happening now, leaving Elena to attending to the two recovering vampires. "You're both sure you're okay?" Elena asked again as she looked back and forth between the two. She was stood in front of them, both sat down on the stairs.

"It was like needles were piercing my skull," Stefan explained, fingers waving next to his head.

"Never mind head piercing. It felt my head was exploding over and over," Sarah groaned as she rubbed her temple with the tips of her fingers, trying to sooth the headache that wouldn't fade. She was grateful that the pain had finally stopped, but something told her she was going to need a long rest before she fully recovered from it's effects.

"At least it's over now," Stefan said with an optimistic smile to his sister. She just groaned, his smile to bright for her pounding head. Thankfully Alaric returned and all attention returned to him.

"I saw at least five vampire go down. They're taking them to your family's old building," Alaric explained before looking to Elena.

"Not surprising, considering it was the Gilbert device that just split our heads open," Sarah said, a sharp pain shooting through her head as she rose her voice. It was fading, but not fast enough for her likely. What she really needed right now was her bed, or at the very least a nice comfy pillow. But she couldn't do that yet, not until they dealt with whatever was going on.

"But…But how?" Elena asked with a confused look to Sarah as everyone else looked her way. "How could John get it to work? Bonnie unspelled it."

"Maybe she didn't," Alaric pointed out with a look.

"I know she didn't," Sarah grumbled, now annoyed after the realisation had come to her. Bonnie had put her family in danger. Whatever John was up to, Bonnie had helped him by lowering their defences, giving them a false sense of security. She could see Stefan was safe, but she had no idea where Damon was, though if Alaric was right then he'd probably be in the old Gilbert building with the other vampires. And she still hadn't heard back from Scarlett. For all Sarah knew she too could have been grabbed, or perhaps still had no clue any of this was going on and was some place safe with Jeremy. She wasn't optimistic about that.

"But she did. We saw her do it. You saw her Sarah," Elena protested.

"I saw the device float in the air," Sarah said, looking to Elena. She held back the hatred for her friend's sake. She was mad, but there was no need to take it out on Elena. She'd been tricked just like the rest of them, she too had trusted Bonnie who was the one that stabbed them in the back.

"That was her de-spelling it though," Elena said, her voice now sounding less sure after Sarah had pointed out what they really saw. After all, how could they know for sure. None of them were witches. None of them could know for sure if Bonnie did or did not do what she said. They couldn't check without activating the device. All they had was Bonnie's word. The vampire hating witch's word.

"No, no, no, she's right," Stefan quickly jumped in, looking up to Elena. "Think about it. We asked Bonnie to deactivate a device that could protect people against vampires."

"So we could protect you guys," Elena pressed.

"Elena. You wanted to protect us…Bonnie didn't," Sarah said with a pointed look which made Elena's face drop more than it already had. The realisation spreading through her eyes before disappointment settled in. She could feel bad, or be mad at Bonnie latter, right now there was only one thing Sarah needed to know. "Where's Damon?" Sarah asked as she looked up to Alaric.

"I don't know," Alaric answered. "I haven't seen him since this started.

"Not a good sign then," Stefan sighed as he turned to face his sister. Both with matching worried looks.

"Can you get my brother and take him home?" Elena asked Alaric.

"Of course," Alaric said with a nod.

"Jenna should already be home. Text us when you find Jeremy, let me know if Scarlett's with him or not," Sarah added.

"Will do," Alaric said with a nod before heading up the stairs and back out into the busy festive streets.

"Let's go," Elena then said as she helped both the Salvatores up to their feet and they too left the alley. Heading right for the old Gilbert building.

* * *

"What the hell are you doing down here, Scrappy?" Scarlett rolled her head over at the sound of the familiar voice, finding Damon crawling his way towards her. She was still healing from John's beating. Her broke ribs still painfully sliding back into place with the help of her spasming muscles. She was doing what she could to move the process along but with the imminent flames approaching, her mind wasn't entirely focused.

"Damon?" Scarlett groaned, her eyes squinting as he crawled towards her. His own icy blue eyes squinting at the intense flames and growing smoke. Apparently even vampires could suffocate. Scarlett went to speak but then felt a fresh wave of pain crash over her. She groaned only to then start coughing. Spasms of pain shooting through her as she rolled onto her shoulder and cuddled herself.

"John, really worked you over, huh?"

"I'll be fine," Scarlett shot out, not letting the concern in his voice settle in her mind. Plus she had to downplay the damage so that she'd be able to explain her miraculous recovery. Assuming they both survived the fire they were now trapped in, and neither was in a good state to fight their way out. "I just need to…" Before she could continue another coughing fit ensued. Damon, now being close enough, reached over and rubbed her shoulder soothingly. It was unnatural, but Scarlett wasn't in a position to push him away. Plus if this was the end, it was nice to have someone who cared nearby. Even if he was more than likely faking it.

"Mayor. Is that you?" With a confused glance up to Damon, Scarlett followed his line of sight over to the Mayor, who was sat across the room against a bookcase. Like Scarlett his ears were covered in blood, and like Scarlett he seemed to have recovered from the ringing sound.

"What are you doing here?" the Mayor shouted over the burning flames, still hiding against the bookcase as his world burned around him. And that was the big difference between him and Scarlett. He wasn't trying to heal from broking ribs and god know what else. He could still make a break for it if he tried. Scarlett was stuck until she'd healed enough to at least stand.

"I'm a vampire," Damon said bluntly as the Mayor turned to him with widened horrified eyes. "What's your excuse?" The Mayor didn't answer. He just started to crawl away as Damon reached for him. Probably for his own good. If Damon had gotten a hold of him he more than likely would have drained him dry to try and recover from the vervain he'd been injected with. At least that wasn't slowing Scarlett's healing down. Or at least as far as she knew.

"No, really. The vervain didn't affect you, you're not a vampire, what the hell are you?" Damon asked, eyes following the Mayor as she raced backwards, away from Damon. Then the vampire's eyes moved back over to Scarlett, a frown plastered on his face. It was a look that made Scarlett begin to worry, because this was the look she'd been scared of seeing ever since Sarah warned her about Damon. A questioning look. "For that matter, what the hell are you?"

The words got caught in Scarlett's mouth. She was all ready to deny everything and claim she was human but she couldn't get it out. Call it the smoke filling her lungs, or the fear of Damon discovering what she was and killing her, but she froze. Then they both heard a scream and looked over to see the Mayor now sat on a vampire's lap, struggling to get away as the vampire took a hold. And then his neck snapped and the vampire holding him passed out, a smile on his face. "Well that's one less thing to worry about," Damon said with a weak smile to Scarlett.

"Anyone ever tell you, 'you're a dick'?" Scarlett asked with a tired glare to the vampire. Damon gave a weak shrug of the shoulders as he let himself rest next to Scarlett. She was about to roll away, just so she didn't have to look at him but then felt her back heat up. Before she could think she felt scorching pain rush across her her back and she screamed. She rolled onto her back, putting out those flames but they had already spread, the gasoline over her body providing the perfect roadmap for the fire. Her eyes closed feeling the flames wrap around them as she screamed in agony, every skin cell she had now burning as the flames danced all over her.

Then she felt some of the flames go out as something landed on her. A guest of wind followed and then something else hit her. The third time she was hit in the face, winding rushing in and blowing out the flames before whatever had hit her lifted up again. She opened her eyes and found it was Damon who had hit her, with his jacket. He was barely standing on his knees, coughing and spluttering as he threw his jacket up and down across her body, putting out the flames as quickly as they reformed. And a few seconds later, she was fire free, scurrying across the floor and into his arms where he wrapped his leather jacket around her, protecting her from the approaching flames.

"It's alright, it's alright. I've got you," Damon said as he held the teenager, hoping to prevent the gasoline from catching light once more. He'd collapsed back down, next to Scarlett again, both shuffling away from the fire before running out of breath. Scarlett looked up at her savour and he looked back down, still frowning at her. "Am I still a dick now?" Damon asked, a shadow of a smirk on his face. Scarlett might have even laughed at that had Damon not started frowning. "Lucky you. Not a burn mark on you," he said, looking over Scarlett's burnt cloths.

Scarlett gulped. "Lucky me," she whispered before lowering her head, resting it against Damon's chest as they both caught their breath.

* * *

The determined trio had just reached the other side of the park, the old Gilbert building directly opposite them when Stefan came to a sudden stop, pulling Elena with him. Sarah had continued on a few more steps before stopping, turning back to see what all the fuss was about. "I can hear them," Stefan said. With that Sarah focused her hearing and let in the painful screams coming from the building. That companied with the whiff of smoke in the air told her everything she needed to know.

"They're burning them alive," Sarah said, realising her brother was in there and possible even Scarlett too.

"What?" Elena gasped as Sarah pressed on. She wasn't waiting for them. She refused to stand by while her brother and ward burnt alive. She had to do something.

"The building's on fire," Stefan said from behind as he started running after Sarah, Elena hot on his tail. Sarah didn't slow down for them, she saw the man ahead with all the answers as well as the blood on his hands. John. In front of the building were a few officers but not close enough to hear or stop Sarah as she approached John.

"Where's my brother?' Sarah demanded, grabbing John by the shoulder and swinging him around before grabbing him by his jacket. For his own sake her brother had better be alive and Scarlett better be far away with Jeremy.

"With your little pet and the rest of them," John snarled as he pushed Sarah off, Stefan grabbing her from behind and pulling her to his side before she could lunge at him. She didn't care if the officers saw or anyone else for that matter. Two people she cared about were in danger. Her family was in danger. This was the lengths John would go too to keep his family safe, wait until he saw what she would do.

"It's over for them both."

"You're crazy!" Elena snapped at her uncle, hate in her eyes. But it was nothing compared to the blazing fire in Sarah's eyes.

"Why? Because I'm doing what should have been done a hundred and forty five years ago? This is the right thing, Elena," John said sternly with a look to Elena. His eyes then moved over to Sarah and Stefan, both who were looking past him to the building, guarded by a row of officers. "Go ahead, neither of you will make it out. It'll save me the trouble of killing you both myself."

"You're a dead man," Sarah snarled, pulling away from Stefan and standing right up to John, letting rageful blood fill her eyes. No one else was close enough to see bar John. He got the message though, taking a step back before Sarah grabbed him by the arm and pulled him back towards her. "My brother's in there, as well as a fifteen year old girl."

"There's nothing but Things in there," John snapped back.

"Well your nephew happens to be in love with one of those things," Sarah snapped back as she pressed her face closer to his, her fangs growing in as she got closer to his neck. She had no intension of giving him a quick death. She was going to drag it out. Feed off him, drain him dry and fill him with her blood. Turn him into what he hated most and make him suffer for as long as she could. He would not get away with this. He would not destroy her family. And god help him if he already had.

"You know the building well, is there another way in?" Stefan asked from behind.

"Utility door, there's one around the side," Elena said. She had probably been pointing but Sarah couldn't see, as her eyes never left John's.

"Sarah, come on," Stefan said as he ran off to the side, but Sarah waited before following.

"If anyone I care about dies…" Sarah paused, letting her fangs retract and her eyes return to normal so he could understand that every fibre of her being was telling him this. There was no demon inside, this was all her and he could see it through her eyes, the eyes she was born with all those years ago. "You'll be begging for me to burn you alive." From the lump in his throat, Sarah knew he'd gotten the message.

And then she was gone in a blur off movement after Stefan. No doubt someone probably saw her vampire speed but none of the officers would have gotten a good look at her face and if John was going to tell the world about them, he would have done it by now. It would be a later problem, Sarah only had one thing on her mind now. Saving whatever family members that were inside that burning building.

She caught up to Stefan as he was pulling open the side door. Sarah had just slowed to a stop, ready to follow Stefan inside when she heard Bonnie shout from behind. "Hey! You can't go in there." Sarah and Stefan turned and saw Bonnie running towards herm. Sarah's blood flared at the sight of the witch, the one who'd stabbed her in the back. Rationally she could understand Bonnie's point of view. But Sarah wasn't thinking rationally.

"Stay the hell out of our way," Sarah snapped at the witch as she pushed past Stefan into the building.

"The fire will take you out," Bonnie said with a pointed look to the two. She might care if they both died but it was clear Damon wasn't her concern. Sarah knew why, she didn't care. If Bonnie really wanted to help then there was probably something she could do, but Sarah didn't have the time or the patience to ask for her help. And neither did Stefan.

"He's our brother, Bonnie," Stefan said simply before running in after Sarah, leaving Bonnie out in the alley with Elena running to catch up as she called out the vampires' names. The two shut out Elena's voice and pressed on through the building and into what might have been a waiting area at one point. Smoke was drifting up through the floor and Sarah could feel the heat radiating from it. At least nothing but the basement had caught light yet, making it easy to move around. "Over here!" Stefan called and Sarah turned to see him by a closed door, smoke pulsing through the gaps. The door to the basement.

Sarah ran towards him as he reached for the door knob only to grunt in pain as his hand instinctively pulled back. Sarah then did the same without thinking and caught a burn as punishment. But she wasn't going to let a door knob stop her from reaching her family. Grabbing onto the knob, gritting her teeth with such force she was sure she broke one, Sarah held on. But then it started to cool. Sarah found it easier to hold and the burning sensation in the palm of her hand stopped. A thought passed through her mind but she shoved it back as she pulled open the door, all but ready to throw herself down the stairs until angry flames flew at her face. Stefan grabbed her, pulling her back and the flames licked off her skin like heated brush strokes. No burns. But she'd felt the intensity of the heat and had been lucky her brother stopped her from charging on down.

Her mind raced about, looking for a solution, another way down as the staircase was consumed in flames. And then they faded away. The fire still present but the stairs visible once more as the flames parted to reveal the blackened steps. The same thought passed through Sarah's mind as before, but she said it aloud this time. "Bonnie," she said with a hopeful smile.

"Come on," Stefan urged, pushing Sarah on before both raced down the stairs at full speed. The second they both reached the bottom they took in the sight. It took a second but then Sarah saw them both. Damon and Scarlett huddled against the far wall, just out of reach of the flames.

"Damon!" Stefan shouted.

"Scarlett!" Sarah added as the two released each other enough to look up and see the two vampires. With their vampire speed the two then raced over, helping them both up. Stefan supporting Damon while Sarah supported Scarlett. Once they each had the other securely held, they took off at vamp speed and raced up the stairs as the flames reappeared. With Stefan at the front, he and Damon were safe. But at the last second Sarah had to jump, propelling Scarlett forward as the flames lifted up beneath their feet. Both hit the next floor with a thud and a groan before Stefan slammed the door shut behind them, cutting off the flames.

"Get up! Come one!" Stefan shouted at the two, both groaning as they got to their knees.

"Don't die on me now, Scrappy," Damon coughed before pulling at his brother's shirt, trying to get him to move with what little strength he had. Stefan obliged and began to move towards the back of the building, dragging Damon with him. Sarah was on all fours now, unlike Scarlett who was back on her feet, trying to help Sarah up.

"Just go!" Sarah shouted, pushing Scarlett towards the exit once she was up. She'd come in here two save her and her brother, and she'd be damned if she let either of them carry her out. For on thing she'd never live it down. Thankfully, Scarlett listened to her and ran for the exit with Sarah coughing as she followed. Even in the short time they'd been down in the basement, it had been enough to allow the smoke to take over the first floor. The entire building was now filled with a black smog and the fire wasn't far behind.

Scarlett reached the door, her head sticking out into the fresh air before Sarah pushed her the rest of the way. Both she and Scarlett stumbled out of the back fog of smoke but were caught before they could hit the ground. Scarlett by Stefan and Damon, and Sarah by Elena, supporting her weight as both women almost collapsed. "Are you both alright?" Elena fired out, pulling Sarah over to her brothers and Scarlett as the four supernaturals coughed the last of the smoke out their systems.

"I'm fine," Stefan answered, the fasted to recover. The irony wasn't lost on Sarah.

"I'm good," Scarlett added, though she was still leaning on Stefan who was managing to support both her weight and that of his brother's.

"Sarah?" Elena asked, turning to the raven haired vampire who was still violently coughing.

"I'm…I'm…" Sarah tried to get out, but her cough kept preventing.

"She's fine," Damon finally cut in after what felt like a minute of Sarah trying to speak.

"We all are," Stefan said as he looked to Elena, the five huddled around each other in thanks that they'd all survived.

* * *

After the oddly nice family moment with the Salvatores and Elena, the police had then swarmed the Gilbert place along with the fire department. Luckily Scarlett and the others had been gone before anyone could spot or i.d. them. From their they'd each gone their separate ways. All needing a chance to breath after what had just happened. Scarlett, having no phone, went in search of Jeremy at the Grill. He wasn't there. Elena had told her Alaric went looking for him before they arrived to save her and Damon. Scarlett couldn't be sure if that was true, but both Jeremy and Alaric's scents were over lapping. So she decided to head over to the Gilbert's and get some answers. What had surprised her was the fact that Damon offered to give her a lift.

To her own surprise she took it and the drive was pleasantly quiet. She'd been expecting a full on interrogation once she got in the car, but Damon didn't say anything until he pulled to a stop outside the Gilbert house. "Before you go, I just want to get one thing straight." Scarlett stopped in her reach for the door, keeping her face neutral as she turned back around to face the vampire. Damon was a causal as ever. One hand on the wheel, the other on the handbrake, starring straight ahead like he didn't even care.

"I don't like you. I don't like anyone… But my sister cares about you. Don't ask me why, I have got a clue. But she does." He paused and then turned to the teenager sat next to him. "That's why I saved you. So don't expect things to change between us. Got it, Scrappy," Damon explained with a glare to back up his words. For a moment Scarlett remained still. Then a knowing smile formed on her face.

"I care about you too, Twilight," Scarlett said with a grin as she opened up the side door and climbed out.

"Twilight?" Damon asked with a confused frown.

"Well if you're going to keep calling me Scrappy, I've got have a nickname for you. And you know," Scarlett said, still grinning as she shrugged.

"It won't stick," Damon grumbled, turning away.

"We'll see, Scarlett said with a grin as she closed the side door and stepped away from the car. Damon remained stationary, waiting. She told him he could leave, but he said he'd move when he felt like it, before waving her off towards the house. Part of her wanted to ask him to take her home since he was still here, to go home and climb into her own bed. She needed it after to day. But she had to talk to Jeremy first. Tell him what happened. Especially in regards to Anna.

With a heavy sigh, Scarlett made her way up the stairs and to the Gilbert's front door. She knocked and Jenna greeted her warmly as ever. Scarlett was polite enough but thankfully Jenna was smart enough to skip the small talk. She just told her where Jeremy was, his room, no surprise there, and then let her go. This time when Scarlett reached the door to Jeremy's room she knocked, and waited patiently on the other side. She wasn't going to barge in with news like this. It wasn't fair. She had to be considerate of him and his feelings. Like he was with her.

A few seconds then the door opened, Jeremy pocking his head out before a look of surprise passed over him. "Scarlett? Hey."

Scarlett smiled sadly back at him. "Surprised I knocked for once," she said with a sheepish shrug.

"Sort of," Jeremy admitted before stepping aside to let Scarlett enter his room. "Come in." Stepping into the room, Jeremy shut the door behind her. Scarlett then took his hand and led him over to the bed, sitting down before he followed suit. "Is everything alright?" he asked, obviously picking up the tone Scarlett was giving off.

"Not really, Jer," Scarlett answered. Feeling a twinge in her heart. This was hurting. Maybe it was because she knew she was consciously about to hurt Jeremy. Or maybe it was because the reality of the situation was finally settling in. Her friend was dead. She'd seen it with her own eyes and been powerless to stop it. And the second she told Jeremy, it really would be set in stone.

"Anna's dead," she finally said after a long pause.

"Oh God," Jeremy gasped as it hit him all at once. The shock lifted him up. And then the reality brought him back down, depression settling in as he lowered his head.

"I tried to save her. But I…I…" Scarlett sighed, feeling a tear slid down her check. It had been a long time since she lost someone she cared about. Her mother was the last one. And now she could add Anna to that list, because they had been friends in the end and she had cared. Maybe more than she realised until now.

"Hey, hey. Come here," Jeremy said, quickly pulling Scarlett into a hug, despite his own tears. His voice was steady. Maturely steady. "It's not your fault." Scarlett knew that. The person in blame would be here soon. The person who was responsible for Anna and her mother's death. John Gilbert. She couldn't be here when he got home. The wolf in her wouldn't allow him to enter and live. The wolf would see it as him coming after Jeremy and it wouldn't risk losing him too, and Scarlett wasn't sure she could keep it under control if that happened. Better she leave now than risk it. But the second she pulled away from Jeremy and their eyes met, there was no question of her leaving. Their tear stained eyes locked and they both had the same urge. They'd both lost Anna. And they needed to be close to one another to get through this. Was it the best idea. No. But neither cared. Instinct had taken over.

Scarlett leaned forward, her hands cupping Jeremy's face as her lips pressed to his. A gentle kiss at first, which quickly turned into one of passion. His hand reached behind and grabbed the base of her top as Scarlett released his face and shrugged off her jacket. She wanted this, needed it to tame the wolf and something told her he needed it too. She wouldn't push, she'd stop if he gave the word, even if the wolf didn't like it. She would never hurt him. Jeremy then pulled her top up and Scarlett helped him get it over her head. Briefly pausing in their kiss before starting up once more. Scarlett then grabbed his shoulders, half naked with the exception of her bra, and pulled him with her as she rolled onto the bed, Jeremy now on top of her.

Another pause in their intense kissing as he pulled off his own shirt. He'd been about to come back down on her, ready to capture her lips with his own when hesitation caught him by the throat, his breath laboured as he tried to hold himself back. "Do you want this?" he asked, his voice a hushed whisper in between his hormonally filled breaths.

"Do you?" Scarlett replied, as she lay beneath him. Like the wolf inside, she was waiting to pounce, ready for the feed she'd never had before and yet had such a craving for. Jeremy nodded and the wolf leapt inside her. "Then so do I," Scarlett said, grabbing his neck with both hands and pulling him down into her lips.

* * *

Walking in through the front door to her home, Sarah sighed tiredly as she closed the door behind her. Her headache was almost gone now. A decent night's sleep ought to kill it for good. Shame the same couldn't be said for John. Sarah had looked around for him after the fire, much to Stefan's protest. He lucked out though as John seemed to have already hightailed it out of there after both she and Stefan ran in to save their brother and Scarlett. Once it had became clear he was gone, Stefan had gone to the Grill to talk to Elena. Sarah had gone to talk to Scarlett but she was gone too. Since the danger was over, Sarah wasn't worried, but was concerned all the same and sent the girl a quick text asking if she was alright and to get back to her before morning, otherwise there'd be hell to pay. She'd already almost burnt to death tonight, no need to almost die again.

Finding Damon hand't been as hard. With the Grill still crowded, Sarah knew exactly where he'd be going and had been right. He'd come home. His car was out front and Sarah had passed it on her way in. Thankfully Damon was sitting in the living room near the lit fire. He was sat on the couch, leaning into the corner of the couch with a drink in one hand while the other was resting on the back of the couch. "How you doing, Sis?" Damon asked as he sipped his drink. Not even glancing back as Sarah leaned against the archway into the room. She smiled at him, glad he was still alive.

"Everyone's alive-"

"-Except the tomb vampires," Damon cut in with a smirk, half looking over to Sarah who smirked back.

"Everyone I care about is alive. I'm great," Sarah said happily as she smiled at Damon. He grinned back, raising his drink before then taking another elegant slip. "How about you?"

"Almost burnt alive. Not a first, so I'l probably get over it," Damon said with a shrug.

"Typical, Damon," Sarah murmured as she shook her head, but smiling all the same.

"Typical, Damon," her brother retorted with a grin over to her before finishing off his drink. Sarah turned to leave at that, sensing he wanted to drink some more and preferably do it alone. She was tired too and wanted to lie down, but stopped mid step when Damon spoke up again. "You know," Damon began, standing up and turning to face his sister as she looked back. He pointed his empty glass at her, eyes narrowing in thought. "Something interesting happened to that kid you care about so much."

"What?" Sarah asked with a forced frown as she folded her arms.

"Well, you know that Gilbert device that fried all our vampire brains." Sarah nodded and let him continue. "It effected her too…odd considering it's only meant to work on vampires. And last I checked, Scrappy wasn't in the club," Damon said, his curiosity flaring as he stepped over to his sister, suspicious eyes never leaving her calm forest greens. She took a silent breath through her nose, steadying her nerves as Damon squared up to her, looking for any sign of a lie. "Do you have any idea why the device would effect her?"

"No," Sarah answered after the appropriate amount of time had passed. Not too quick as to seem jumpy and not too late as to seem hesitant. She'd been at this a long time and knew how to lie when it mattered. Like now, in order to protect Scarlett and her secret. "I've got no idea. Maybe she just got a bad migraine or something," Sarah shrugged. Damon's eyes remind on her before finally opening back up as he smiled at his little sister.

"Alright then. Night, night, Sister," Damon said with a wink before walking past her and into the hallway, heading past the stairs and towards the study. His good drink was kept in their. That meant he was either in a good mood, or a bad mood. Right now, Sarah didn't care to find out. She just wanted her bed, more than ever. So she let Damon go and walked up to the next floor before heading along to her room. Her room with the door already a jar open. At least she didn't have to bother with the door knob. She just pushed and the door opened the rest of the way allowing her step in and swinging it closed behind her.

Another tired sigh as she ran her hands over her face and through her hair. Then she lowered her hands, ready to undress, but instead began to frown. There, on her already made bed, sat a folded card. She walked over, picking up the card as she sat down on the side of her bed. On the front it said one word, her name. 'Sarah'. Seeing as it was obviously for her, Sarah flipped open the card, revealing the message inside.

 _Guess who's back?_

 _K._

 _xxx_

The letter fell from Sarah's hand, hitting the floor as if it were a bolder. She began to tremble, her very being haven been shook by one little letter.

She'd been here. She'd been in her room in her house and had left her this note. Feeling a rush of wind behind her, Sarah jumped and turned around to find nothing there. Nothing except an open window and the cool night air blowing in, causing her curtains to sway around with the wind. That laugh tickled her ear and Sarah's hand shot up to slap her ear, ending the laugh before it could grow. No. Why now, why when everything was finally falling into place. Why when she and her brothers were finally back together and getting along and she had friends and a life, why now did she have to walk back into their lives.

Her eyes moved down to the letter on the floor, and she could practically hear the devil's laughter coming from it. Tears burned at her eyes and Sarah dropped to her knees. Her hands covered the sides of her head but still the laughter came. All the things she'd ever said flashed through her mind. All the things she'd made her do came rushing back. She'd been a fool all this time, to think she'd ever truly escaped from her. And now she was back.

Katherine was back…the Bitch, was back…


End file.
